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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 Thexalon on Friday September 19 2014, @08:22PM
Put me in the "Not a big deal" category: If you're a business, you're eventually going to have some sort of address registered with *somebody*. If it's one guy working out of his house, that address might be his house, but some of the other entities that probably already have that address for that business include:
- Any banks the business has accounts with
- The IRS
- Whatever state they're in, if incorporated in any way (including LLCs)
- Any company that sells to that business
- Any customer that you have to bill or invoice
- The DNS registrar, and (depending on TLD and jurisdiction) the WHOIS entry.
Now, I understand some people don't like being identified, ever, but if you're going to be taking money from somebody, it's important to know enough about who you are (and an email address is far to ephemeral) so you can be held responsible if you don't deliver on your promises. And as another poster pointed out, if you're trying to avoid giving out your home address, pay for a box at UPS or something and use that.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 20 2014, @07:36AM
The issue that I have is not so much that you have to leave the address, but that it is viewable by everyone. That opens up a big abuse potential. Yes, if you have a valid complaint with an app, there probably should be a way to get the contact data from Google. But having it available to everyone without restrictions is a really bad idea.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday September 21 2014, @02:18AM
For a precedent on this mess. I encourage everyone to look at the DNS "contact details".
In other words, this ain't viable. It will crash in contact with reality..
Btw, you can always contact me at:
Drug house
123 Inhalation street
Crocktown
FD5Y 2KJ
Neverland