Google has begun contacting developers to advise of changes to the developer policy which requires them to define whether their app contains advertising or not. The move follows on from the addition of the label to apps participating in the Google Play Families program which was launched at Google I/O.
According to the email – which you can see below – developers must log in to the Google Play Developer Console and declare whether their apps have ads ‘delivered through third party ad networks, display ads, native ads, and/or banner ads’. If developers don’t update their apps, developers will be unable to make updates to their apps until the ad declaration is made.
Knowing whether an app contains ads can be a boon for parents, the ‘ad supported’ label will very likely show up on the Play Store listing as soon as developers begin assigning the label in the Play Developer Console.
Hello Google Play Developer,
At Google I/O, we launched “ad-supported” labels for apps in the Designed for Families program. Today, we’re announcing the expansion of this program to all apps on Google Play. Early next year, users will start to see the “Ads” label on apps that contain advertising, both inside and outside Designed for Families.
By January 11, 2016, you must sign in to the Play Developer Console and declare whether your apps contain ads (such as ads delivered through third party ad networks, display ads, native ads, and/or banner ads). After this date, the ads declaration will be required to make any updates to your apps. Please note that misrepresenting ad presence violates Google Play Developer Program Policies and may lead to suspension. You can visit our help center to learn more.
While developers are responsible for accurately declaring ad presence in their apps, Google may verify this at any time and display the “Ads” label if appropriate.
If you feel your app has been incorrectly flagged for containing ads, please contact our policy support team.
Regards,
The Google Play Team
