Google has, according to a recent email sent to app developers, made changes to the Google Play Developer Program Policy governing what sort of advertising can be displayed in the apps found on the company’s Play Store. The changes are designed to make developers responsible for the ads that appear in their software and should tighten up on advertising that doesn’t promote what it seems to on the surface.
Developers will find that deceptive advertising, as Google has defined it, will get them into trouble with the App Store – though just what the repercussions are are not exactly clear. Ads will not be allowed to redirect to a Play Store or website page without notifying the user, something that should prevent loading a free app and accidentally jumping out to a browser page when users poke the wrong area of the screen.
Ads will also not be permitted to emulate an app’s user interface, a notification or pretend that an Android OS warning has been issued, explicit ads have been further clamped down on and advertising will have to be very clear on what app is being advertised. Google has also made changes that require that in-app purchases are more clearly defined in apps, including costs and the purposes of such purchases.
Source: Polygon
