Posted by Tatiana van Maaren – International T&S Partnerships Lead, Privateness & Safety, and Roxanna Aliabadi Walker – Product Supervisor
At Google Play, we’re devoted to constructing consumer belief, particularly in terms of delicate permissions and your information. We perceive that managing information and media permissions might be complicated, and customers typically fear about which information apps can entry. Since these information typically comprise delicate data like household photographs or monetary paperwork, it is essential that customers really feel in management. That’s why we’re working to offer clearer decisions, so customers can confidently grant permissions with out sacrificing app performance or their privateness.
Beneath are a set of finest practices to contemplate for enhancing consumer belief within the sharing of broad entry information, in the end resulting in a extra profitable and sustainable app ecosystem.
Prioritize consumer privateness with information minimization
Constructing consumer belief begins with requesting solely the permissions important in your app’s core capabilities. We perceive that photographs and movies are delicate information, and broad entry will increase safety dangers. That is why Google Play now restricts READ_MEDIA_IMAGES and READ_MEDIA_VIDEO permissions, permitting builders to request them solely when completely needed, usually for apps like photograph/video managers and galleries.
Leverage privacy-friendly options
As a substitute of requesting broad storage entry, we encourage builders to make use of the Android Picture Picker, launched in Android 13. This instrument presents a privacy-centric manner for customers to pick particular media information with out granting entry to their whole library. Android photograph picker offers an intuitive interface, together with entry to cloud-backed photographs and movies, and permits for personalisation to suit your app’s wants. As well as, this technique picker is backported to Android 4.4, guaranteeing a constant expertise for all customers. By eliminating runtime permissions, Android photograph picker simplifies the consumer expertise and builds belief by means of transparency.
Construct belief by means of clear information practices
We perceive that some builders have traditionally used customized photograph pickers for tailor-made consumer experiences. Nonetheless, no matter whether or not you utilize a customized or system picker, transparency with customers is essential. Customers need to know why your app wants entry to their photographs and movies.
Builders ought to try to offer clear and concise explanations inside their apps, ideally on the level the place the permission is requested. Take the next in consideration whereas crafting your permission request mechanisms as doable finest practices pointers:
- When requesting media entry, present clear explanations inside your app. Particularly, inform customers which media your app wants (e.g., all photographs, profile footage, sharing movies) and clarify the performance that depends on it (e.g., ‘To decide on a profile image,’ ‘To share movies with mates’).
- Clearly define how consumer information can be used and guarded in your privateness insurance policies. Clarify whether or not information is saved regionally, transmitted to a server, or shared with third events. Reassure customers that their information can be dealt with responsibly and securely.
Find out how Snap has embraced the Android System Picker to prioritize consumer privateness and streamline their media choice expertise. This is what they must say about their implementation:
“One among our targets is to offer a seamless and intuitive communication expertise whereas guaranteeing Snapchatters have management over their content material. The brand new circulation of the Android Picture Picker is the right stability of offering consumer management of the content material they need to share whereas guaranteeing quick communication with mates on Snapchat.”
– Marc Brown, Product Supervisor
Get began
Begin constructing a extra reliable app expertise. Discover the Android Picture Picker and implement privacy-first information practices right this moment.
Acknowledgement
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