Google Play Store is blocking full-screen ads, VPNs, and fake apps impersonating genuine software
New Play Store standards for Android developers have been revealed by Google in an effort to tighten down full-screen advertisements, VPNs, and phony apps that impersonate legitimate software. The Play Store will mandate that developers stop displaying “full-screen interstitial advertising,” such as ones that appear during gameplay or during an app’s loading screen, starting on September 30, 2022. Full-screen advertisements that cannot be closed after 15 seconds will also be prohibited. Rewarded ads, like in-app popups that users can accept to unlock in-app content, will not be covered by the new policy and will still be allowed.
The company’s FLAG SECURE function, which is designed to hide or restrict screenshots and forbid screen sharing and broadcasting in order to secure sensitive data, has undergone more revisions. Apps won’t be able to design workarounds for the flagged material after November 1, 2022. Starting on the same day, VPNs will be subject to stricter regulations. With limited restrictions, only dedicated VPN apps will be permitted to “establish a secure device-level tunnel to a distant server” (opens in new tab). Additionally, access to the USE EXACT ALARM permission will be restricted to only those applications that “need precisely timed activities” (from July 31, 2022).
A change that is scheduled to take effect on August 31, 2022, may be of the most important to regular consumers. The developer name, which displays beneath the program title in the Play Store, the corporate logo, and if the name seems authentic and isn’t misleading, are all things the firm advises you to double-check. Further updates to the business’s app store include the removal of false health information; improved subscription management; safer kid-friendly marketing; and additional personal safety measures.