To know what data an app collects, we now need to trust the developers

What are the data collected by an app? Where do they go to finish? Because are collected? To answer the questions of increasingly sensitive users on the subject of privacy, about three months ago Google launched “Data Security”, a section of the Play Store compiled by developers in which we try to create a relationship of greater trust e transparency between users and app creators.

At launch Google had given how deadline to developers to fill in section il July 20 (the day after tomorrow), as indicated in a support pagebut now it turns out that the Mountain View company has decided to hide it from the Play Store permissions list required by the apps.

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The move is similar to what was done by Apple some time ago with his system “nutrition label“, which to initiate a process of transparency fully relies on developers to show users i data collected by the app they are about to install, and that as evidenced by a Washington Post investigation proved inaccurate to say the least.

Already this “trust operation” might seem to say the least worrying, but the problem is that following its introduction Google has started hiding from the Play Store the permissions list (automatically generated) that the app requires to work, as noted by the known Mishaal Rahman.

Google defends itself saying it examines all apps so that they meet the requirements to be able to be published, but only the developer knows how their app manages user dataand therefore only he can fill in the data security form. In its statement, Google says it will take “le appropriate actions“should it detect discrepancies between the information reported by the developers and the behavior of the app.

Rahman points out that Google actually creates the automatic list of permissions requested by the apps, but simply decided not to show them on the Play Store and then suggests downloading the alternative open source at the Play Store, call Aurora, which still shows permissions before downloading an app.

When “Data security“was launched, it was not clear that Google would make this move, and it would be interesting to understand Why did it. Hide a section which to some extent would give users the ability to check if the authorization list compiled by the developers matches that generated by the Play Store it would provide more control over a system that is already quite precarious, as all the security issues we post on these pages demonstrate.

On the nose, rely completely on developers it doesn’t seem like the best move, but the company declined to comment. Keep following us for more updates, because surely the question will be deepened.