Privacy is one of the most important aspects for users in the highly digitized world in which we live and it is precisely for this reason that data collection is constantly at the center of the issue. Now it comes back into play again due to the latest modification that Google has carried out for Android mobiles in the Google Play Store.
All applications collect information about both the user and their smartphone. Sometimes they only have to do with the name or your location, although sometimes they also access your messages or images, as well as your search history in order to offer a more personalized experience.
The security of Google Play in danger
Before downloading a new app, it is important to know which sections of the device you intend to access, because only in this way is it possible to know the degree of security and privacy that it offers. This is now much more complex to understand since the Mountain View company has carried out the introduction of the new system called “Data Security“.
This new measure aims to require application developers to include the information stored by their programs and even indicate if it is shared with third parties. At first glance, it may seem like a step forward, although Google has also removed the list of permissions from apps in the Play Store. This means that it is impossible to consult this aspect in advance.
With the launch of the Data Safety section on Google Play, which will be mandatory for all apps in 1 week, it seems the app permissions list is going away in both the mobile app and the web.
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 13, 2022
It should be noted that this modification has not been announced directly by the American company, but it has been the informant Mishaal Rahman who has announced the change.
It is important to note that the list of permissions was automatically generated by the Google Play Store and was not very clear in explaining why such information was needed. Everything seems to indicate that with the arrival of the new system the doubts could disappear in a certain way.
how this system works
The appearance of this function known as “Data Security” has generated many unknowns in users, who could see their private information in danger . This is intended to be much clearer, since developers have a tool at their disposal to explain in great detail why certain data is necessary.
However, as this information is required to be written and provided by the developers themselves, there is a possibility that it may not be fully displayed or may not be entirely accurate, and this is something that Google Play Protect cannot control. This would be easier if the user had the new option and the list of permissions, although for some reason the brand has decided to eradicate the latter.
The community hopes that this will not become a long-term problem, as there are developers who will try to cheat the system to hide data collection programs. An issue of great importance to users.
For its part, Google warns that if the data security tab is not complete and accurate, the applications will be removed from the Play Store or their updates will be blocked. The effectiveness of the corporation in detecting it is not clear, so it only remains to hope that Android remains intact.
