Google Play mandating apps allow deletion of user data
Google Play is adding some new requirements for developers that are aimed at giving users more control over how their data is retained. Developers will have to include an option to delete any user data the developer has stored on their servers so that when the next data breach of a crappy app happens, your personal details will be stolen from a backup, and not the main database.
Developers have until May of 2024 to request an extension for not doing that by whatever date it’s implemented
As the new policy states, when you fulfill a request to delete an account, you must also delete the data associated with that account. The feature also gives developers a way to provide more choice: users who may not want to delete their account entirely can choose to delete other data only where applicable (such as activity history, images, or videos). For developers that need to retain certain data for legitimate reasons such as security, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance, you must clearly disclose those data retention practices.
The feature is listed as coming soon, but considering developers can request an extension for the next 13 months as of this writing, my guess is not that soon.
It sounds good, but I wonder what’s to actually make developers comply? Maybe an army of AI users signing up and using the app, requesting data deletion after some amount of time, and then seeing which are in next Monday’s data breach of the century of the week.
Now if they’d add the ability from within the app or at the remove option to discontinue recurring charges without calling and talking to a human, or getting into a chat with an obvious AI that types real slow, that would be great.
[GoogleBlog]
