Google requires 2FA for Developers

Google on Monday announced new measures for the Play Store, including requiring developer accounts to turn on 2-Step Verification (2SV). This step towards strengthening account security and ensuring a safe and secure app marketplace

As part of the changes, individual users and businesses in possession of Google Play developer accounts will be asked to specify an account type, a contact name, their physical address, as well as verifying the email address and phone number provided during account creation. Also mandated users of Google Play Console to sign in using Google’s 2-Step Verification to prevent account takeover attacks.

All new developer accounts will need to specify their account type and verify their contact information at sign-up, in addition to enabling 2SV starting August. All the aforementioned requirements are expected to be expanded to all existing developer account owners later this year.

The development comes as part of the company’s efforts to combat scams and fraudulent developer accounts on the platform that have been sold in the past on underground forums to disguise malware as legitimate apps.

Earlier Google said its machine-learning detection capabilities and enhanced app review processes prevented over 962,000 policy-violating app submissions from getting published to Google Play, adding it banned 119,000 malicious and spammed developer accounts in 2020.