Build your own Android app – #15 Include a valid privacy policy for GDPR

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Privacy policy

Well, one of them. For our Build Your Own Android App series I produced the French Revolution Day By Day app, and another called Device Description, which relays back to the user the information that is available about a device via Android API calls.

In other words, the characteristics of its inner components (sensors, battery, telephony, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc). “What your device is telling Android behind your back” was my snappy tagline.

Google Play

I can’t link to it because it has been delisted from Google Play – Google has emailed me a Notification to take action. I got it a few weeks ago, but the GDPR connection has only just clicked. (No, I’m not the sharpest tool in the box. For further disastrous evidence, see here.)

After review, Device Description, com.digital_rhetoric_apps.devicedescription, has been removed from Google Play because it violates our personal and sensitive information policy and section 4.8 of the Developer Distribution Agreement. This app won’t be available to users until you submit a compliant update.

Policy issue: Google Play requires developers to provide a valid privacy policy when the app requests or handles sensitive user or device information. Your app requests sensitive permissions (e.g. camera, microphone, accounts, contacts, or phone) or user data, but does not include a valid privacy policy.

The French Rev app has escaped and is still live, as it required minimal permissions. Anyone whose app requests more permissions must have received such notifications.

Privacy policy

What you have to do, according to Google is take three steps, having invented written a privacy policy for your app.

  1. Read through the User Data policy and Personal and Sensitive Information article and make the necessary changes to your app.
  2. Sign in to your Play Console and be sure to include a link to a valid privacy policy on your app’s Store Listing page and within your app. You can find more information in our Play Console Help Center.
  3. Submit your app.

Shall I make the effort? Is it worth it? Could this be goodbye for our hero, I mean, my second ever app? Stay tuned for even less drama….

See also: Build your own Android app – #10 Device Description sensor manager

See also: Build your own Android app – #11 Device Description telephony manager

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