Google Play PolicyBytes - October 2021 policy updates

Theresa, Product Marketing Manager for Android and Google Play, shares key policy updates from our October 2021 Play policy announcements on hostile downloaders, social apps & features for kids and families, Android emojis, monetization and ads, subscriptions, Data safety section and enforcement timelines.

For quick answers about a specific policy update, jump right to the section on:
0:00 - Introduction
0:34 - Hostile downloaders (MUwS)
0:59 - Social apps & features
1:34 - Android emojis
2:58 - Monetization & ads
3:23 - Subscriptions
4:02 - Data safety section
5:23 - Enforcement timelines

product: Google Play - Policy;

[Apenschi]

My App does not send any data to me or third parties. So I just entered that into the new data security form. No more questions needed to be answered.
The preview of the information shown to my users contained the lines:

- Data is not encrypted
- Data can not be deleted

!?!? What both is wrong!

Obviously, questions were evaluated here for the generation of these texts that are not relevant at all for apps that do not transmit any data at all.
These texts put my app in a bad light.
Does Google Play do not test such things before publication?
Or are apps that do not transmit data to be penalised?

[SimonLucio]

How do you fill the Data safety section if your app doesn't collect or share user data but shows ads from admob?

[monrolbrond]

I have a small question, please. I have a console account with several applications, but Google terminated the account, and after 3 months I restored the account, but my applications were deleted from the store. The question is if I re-upload the same application after removing the violations and the application was accepted. Is this violation still linked to the application or linked to the account?

[anthanhnguyen]

Please add the north face jacket app 🙏