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Google 'Experts' To Screen Android Apps For Banned Content

Posted by timothy on from the less-pressing-less-flesh dept.

An anonymous reader writes Google has announced that it will start an official human-based screening process for all of the apps featured in its Google Play store, in a bid to "better protect the community" and "improve the app catalogue." The search giant revealed yesterday that a "team of experts" would be reviewing apps and all updates offered across the Google Play platform for those which violate Google's developer policies. The team will also give direct feedback to developers on what they need to do in order to fix their apps before they can be listed on the Store. A dedicated review page will allow developers to gain further "insight into why apps were rejected or suspended," as well as offering them the opportunity to "easily fix and resubmit their apps" for those who have violated minor regulations.

3 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Curated Collection by macs4all · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hmmm. Sounds like Google is moving toward the concept of a Curated Collection.

    Wonder where they would have gotten THAT Idea...?

  2. Featured apps only will be analyzed? by turning+in+circles · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So this is telling me that the apps that Google "Features" currently are not inspected or analyzed by any humans before they become featured. "Featured," to my way of thinking, means recommended. So, currently, are algorithms recommending apps, not people? And if so, how long before algorithms recommend movies, books, music? (Currently, Wikibooks notes that "Featured books are books that the Wiki community believes to be the best . . .")

    --
    Might as well face it I'm addicted to data.
  3. Needed because of bad permission system? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wish Google had taken a different road:
    - help users understand permissions (e.g. Internet + SDcard = app could upload your private pictures to a remote server)
    - users get scared of apps with too many permissions
    - apps request few permissions

    Instead they entered a vicious cycle:
    - apps request more permissions
    - simplify the displayed permission list
    - apps request even more permissions

    and now we're at a stage where apps request tons of permissions they don't need, and Google needs to manually check that each app doesn't abuse the permissions that they request but don't need. Ridiculous.