Google changes the rules in the Play Store and prohibits VPNs that avoid ads
Google has made changes to its privacy policies. Play Store which restrict the VpnService API provided by the platform.
The new rules prohibit the use of VPNService to filter traffic from other applications for monetization purposes, the hidden collection of personal and sensitive data and any manipulation of advertising that may affect the monetization of other applications.
Services they are also mandated to enforce encryption for tunneled traffic and comply with policies from developers related to ad fraud, accreditation, and malicious activity. Tunnels to external servers can be created by applications that explicitly claim to perform VPN functions and only through the VPNService API.
exceptions are made to access external servers for applications where such access is the core functionality, for example, parental control programs, firewalls, antivirus programs, mobile device control programs, network tools, remote access systems, web browsers, telephony etc. P.
The VPNService cannot be used to:
Collect personal and sensitive data from users without prominent disclosure and consent.
Redirect or manipulate user traffic from other apps on a device for monetization purposes (for example, redirect ad traffic through a different country than the user's).
Handle ads that can affect app monetization.
Applications that use VPNService must:Document the use of the VPN Service in the Google Play listing, and
You must encrypt the data from the device to the VPN tunnel endpoint, and
Comply with all developer program policies, including ad fraud, permissions, and malware policies.
However, the change will also affect legitimate applications, such as VPN apps with privacy features that use the aforementioned functionality to cut ads and block calls to external services that track user activity.
Blocking the manipulation of ad traffic on a device can also negatively affect apps that evade monetization restrictions, such as redirecting ad requests through servers in other countries.
Examples of apps that will be broken include Blokada v5, Jumbo, and Duck Duck Go. The Blokada developers have already bypassed the restriction introduced in the v6 branch by moving to filter traffic not on the user's device, but on external servers, which is not prohibited by the new rules.
Other policy changes include a ban on full screen ads Starting September 30 if the ad cannot be turned off after 15 seconds or if the ad appears unexpectedly when users try to perform an action in the app. For example, full-screen ads that are displayed as a splash screen at start-up or during gameplay, including when moving to a new level, are prohibited.
Starting tomorrow, it will also be prohibited to host apps that mislead users by posing as another developer, company, or another app.
Prohibition covers the use of other companies' apps and logos on icons, use of other company names on behalf of a developer (for example, postings on behalf of "Google Developer" by someone not affiliated with Google), false claims of affiliation with a product or service, and related violations with the use of trademarks.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that there is already a requirement that paid subscription applications provide visible means for the user to manage and cancel subscriptions. The inclusion of the application should provide access to a simple method to unsubscribe online.
The changes will take effect on November 1, 2022. Among the objectives of the rule change is to improve the quality of advertising on the platform, improve security and combat the spread of false information. The new rules are expected to protect users from dubious VPN apps that track user data and redirect traffic to manipulate ads.
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