Google new Data Safety Section hides App permissions

Google plans to remove the app permissions list from both the mobile app and the web as a part of Data Safety initiative

Earlier this year, Google rolled out the new Data safety section for Android apps on the Play Store, the move aims at increasing transparency on the type of data being collected and shared with third parties and the purpose of their collection.

Developers are required to complete the Data safety section in the Google Play section for their apps by July 20th. With this deadline now approaching next week, the tech giant has moved to entirely remove the permissions section.

Here is the information developers can show in the Data safety section:

• Whether the developer is collecting data and for what purpose.
• Whether the developer is sharing data with third parties.
• The app’s security practices, like encryption of data in transit and whether users can ask for data to be deleted.
• Whether a qualifying app has committed to following Google Play’s Families Policy to better protect children in the Play store.
• Whether the developer has validated their security practices against a global security standard

The decision also appears to be a hasty one, as a number of popular apps such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Amazon, DuckDuckGo, Discord, and PhonePe are yet to populate their Data safety sections.