Google is seeking to empower users and foster a good relationship between parties through options that allow them to either delete their data or their account entirely.
In an announcement, the giant tech company is intending to enforce the rule on Android applications on the Google Play Store such that it will enable users the choice to have their data or account removed, both in-app and on the web, upon request.
In addition to giving the average user the power and control over their data and app presence, the move also seeks to “better educate” them as well as offer flexibility in the process.
For instance, users who are only seeking to erase all traces of their data may do so without necessarily resorting to an all-out deletion of the account. Likewise, deleting data established on the web will not result in the user having to reinstall the app.
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The move was not original to Google, considering a similar rule was implemented first by Apple on their App Store months prior. Additionally, the decision stems from regulators’ increasing efforts to ask for more control over services, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s recent proposition for an easier method to cancel memberships and subscriptions.
The revolutionary policy will not be taking effect in just one go, but rather in stages. App developers will have until December 7, 2023 to provide answers regarding the subject of data deletion in their program’s safety form but they may ask for an extension until May 31, 2024. Meanwhile, store listings will have to show similar changes in early 2024.