Google Play Store now showing data collected by users’ android apps

Google has announced privacy labels in the Play Store, giving users more insight into the types of data collected by Android apps. The move comes over a year after Apple launched similar labels for the App Store, which show users how much data is being collected by apps.

Google said, "We heard from users and app developers that displaying the data an app collects, without additional context, is not enough. Users want to know for what purpose their data is being collected and whether the developer is sharing user data with third parties."

The feature is rolling out now on the Play Store and developers are expected to complete the information on their apps by July 20 at the latest.

Google announced the feature, which is called the Google Play Data safety section, in May last year, giving developers plenty of time to implement the changes. Specifically, the new labels will show: what data is being collected; whether that data is being shared with third-parties; the app's security practices; whether the app has committed to Google Play’s Families Policy; and whether the developer has validated their security practices against a global standard.

Adding labels to the Play Store is, ultimately, a win for consumers and privacy advocates, as developers now have to report what is collected and why.