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The Developer Console for the Google Play Store has a notification that from the 30th September, all listing will require a physical address to be shown on the app details page. The notification states:
Add a physical contact address Beginning September 30, 2014, you need to add a physical address to your Settings page. After you've added an address, it will be available on your app's detail page to all users on Google Play. If your physical address changes, make sure to update your information on your Settings page.
If you have paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, it's mandatory to provide a physical address where you can be contacted, as you are the seller of that content, to comply with with consumer protection laws. If you don't provide a physical address on your account, it may result in your apps being removed from the Play Store.
Thus far there have been no explanation for the requirement, with some speculation that it may be to satisfy a legal requirement for merchants to provide a physical address, with some concerned about how it could impact independent developers.
(Score: 2) by RaffArundel on Friday September 19 2014, @05:04PM
So, the summary includes
with some speculation that it may be to satisfy a legal requirement
when just above it Google specifically says
to comply with with consumer protection laws.
Is there a particular reason we should believe there is something else going on?
I'm more interested in why this would be impacting indies (who take customers' money, there is no requirement that your free app do this) since they have already set up whatever payment mechanism as part of their business, so this simply one more step. Basically, if you are going to sell on Google Play regardless who you are, you need at least a PO Box - I'm wondering why this is burden.
As a slight tangent: since I keep my phones around for years, are there any devices locked to Google Play? I figure if I wanted something that was locked out of the Play Store, and I actually trusted someone that wanted my money but no way to physically locate them, then I would find it elsewhere. Anyone around here actually impacted by this because they sell an app on the Play Store care to chime in?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by MrGuy on Friday September 19 2014, @05:14PM
TFA is one guy who took a screenshot of the change to Google's policy, and complained about it on his GooglePlus page. Followed by a bunch of people commenting on why they think it either sucks or isn't a big deal.
I think the more interesting story is someone posting something on GooglePlus, and other people actually reading something on GooglePlus and leaving comments. I mean, who uses GooglePlus?
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Friday September 19 2014, @08:14PM
Finland and Denmark apparently, as I talk to posters who live over there and they say its really popular there. I guess that "popular in Japan" "Germans love David Hasselhoff" meme applies to software as well because when I ask 'em why they just say "I dunno we just really like it". Then again that IS the region that gave us lutefisk so their taste is seriously suspect anyway.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by lhsi on Friday September 19 2014, @06:44PM
I'm more interested in why this would be impacting indies (who take customers' money, there is no requirement that your free app do this) since they have already set up whatever payment mechanism as part of their business, so this simply one more step. Basically, if you are going to sell on Google Play regardless who you are, you need at least a PO Box - I'm wondering why this is burden.
For really small developers (including hobbyists), where Google Play is not the main source of income (or not used for income at all), the address given could end up being a home address (depending on how accurately this is enforced).
(Score: 2) by Foobar Bazbot on Saturday September 20 2014, @12:44AM
If it's not used for income, it doesn't seem like it would affect them at all, since it only applies to those who "have paid apps or apps with in-app purchases".