Google refuses to remove the permission display from the Play Store

Google started rolling out the new Data Security screen more widely in the Play Store last week, and it made a splash in the tech world when we learned that the new section is a replacement for the usual app permission display, not a new one. screen in addition to it. Following the public backlash to the news, the official Android Developers Twitter account vowed to reverse the change and allow a permission screen to be displayed next to the new data security screen.

Data Security is a new section of the Play Store that allows developers to list what data an app collects, how that data is stored, and to whom that data is shared. You can see how Google came to the conclusion that data security is an acceptable substitute for an app allow list. The two sections overlap a lot – for example, you’ll probably see “location”on both screens if an app asks for your location. The problem is Google’s implementation of these two screens. The app permission list is actually a computer-generated record of what permissions an app can request, and the Data Security section is written by the developer. You can’t fool the app’s permission list while data security is running on the honor system.

Here’s the full Google statement:

Privacy and transparency are core values ​​in the Android community. We’ve heard your feedback that you find the App Permissions section of Google Play useful, and we’ve decided to restore it. The app permissions section will be back soon. The Data Security section provides users with a simplified view of how the app collects, transfers, and secures user data, but we also want app permission information to be easily viewable so users can understand the app’s ability to access certain restricted data and actions. We will continue to receive feedback and work closely with the developer community to make data privacy and transparency a priority for users.

Google is very data sensitive and removing the permission screen has become just another piece of paper for people trying to protect their privacy. Restoring the permission screen is a temporary fix, and it still seems like Google should just apply permission detection to the data security screen and then require developers to add details about why the data is being collected and how it’s stored. Google has already built an automated permissions system, and instead of throwing it all out, it could just let developers add details to it.

While the “Data Security”section depends on whether developers are lying, Google says it “may take appropriate action”if it “learns of a discrepancy”in a developer’s description. What you think of the Data Security section depends on what you think of Google’s ability to control its own app store. There is plenty of evidence that Google often leaves the Play Store on autopilot.

Image in Google Play Store listing