The Clock is Ticking for App Developers to Meet Google Play Policies

Google’s new developer guidelines established on August 23 have started a ticking time bomb that may blow up apps that don’t meet the new guidelines.

In its own words Google is making “Improvements include new guidance on ads behavior and clarifications to existing policies related to hate speech, gambling, in-app payments, ratings, and impersonation.”

The new policy in particular tightens up restrictions on ads and marketing with its prohibition of ad in system notifications/home screen icons and requirement of user consent when an app makes changes to specific device settings. The policy also warns that ads can’t simulate or impersonate the user interface of any app nor the notification and warning elements of an OS. Ad walls and interstitial ads can only be displayed in app and ads can’t interfere with other apps or their ads.

The policy affects both new and updated Android apps so virtually all apps will be affected.