Google will require all devs to let users delete their accounts

Data security is one of the biggest concerns in the tech world, and Google is looking for ways to protect user data on the Play Store. According to 9To5Google, Google will require that all apps on the Play Store allow users to delete their accounts and data.

There’s a major issue plaguing app users: not being able to delete the account that they begrudgingly had to create. No one likes needing to create an account just to use an app in the first place. So, it’s a bigger bummer when the user can’t delete the account.

We’ve all been there. We’ve all looked through every inch of an app’s UI to find the Delete Account button only to find nothing. It’s extremely irritating.

The Play Store will require devs to let users delete their accounts

This is a major step forward when it comes to data security. Along with that, it’ll just alleviate a headache that app users have been bearing. When this rule is passed, all apps that allow account creation from within the app must offer a way for the user to delete their account. This could be done from within the app or externally.

Google specifies that the delete account button must be readily discoverable either internally or externally. This means that companies will, hopefully, no longer be able to hide this option from their users. They need to be out in the open.

Google also outlines that, when it says people should be able to delete their accounts, they should be able to delete their accounts. This doesn’t mean temporarily deactivating it, disabling it, pausing it, or freezing it. The user data needs to be deleted from the company’s servers- end of story.

However, Google does acknowledge that there are situations when the developer can’t delete all of the users’ data. When that happens, it needs to clearly state so in the app’s privacy policy. If the app needs to retain user data, it needs to be for a legitimate reason.

This won’t happen for a while

Google didn’t exactly flip the switch on this new rule. It’s going to be a long and gradual process for the app developers on the Play Store. Several developers have a ton of apps on the Play Store, and it takes time to implement these changes.

Google is asking developers to submit answers to new Data deletion questions in their app’s Data Safety form by December 7th. That’s far off, and the company will let devs file for an extension until May 2024. So, for several apps, you won’t see this change for more than a year.