Updated policies were issued by Google, for distributing Android apps via Play Store due to safety concerns.

Google has updated its guidelines for those who distribute Android apps through the Play Store, citing trust and safety concerns.

The most significant of these is the requirement that some developers show more identification in order to adhere to the policy's expanded Play Console Requirements. Developers registering a new business must now provide a D-U-N-S number, a nine-digit identification code provided by data brokers Dun & Bradstreet. The new "About the developer" section in Google Play will consist of the additional  information provided; listings will display identity information such as name, address, and contact information that has been verified.

Google will provide compliance information to current developers who registered as an organization rather than an individual in October.

D-U-N-S numbers are not a guarantee that a company is reliable—FTX, a failed cryptocurrency venture, has a listing—but the registration could be useful for risk management decisions or at the very least for knowing where to send legal documents or the police.

A different change to the Deceptive Behavior Policy mandates that an app's functionality be obvious to users. It is therefore time to explicitly forbid hidden, undocumented, or dormant features after 11 years of Play Store operation. Additionally, attempting to avoid app reviews is prohibited.

As stated in April, Google Play developers must permit users to delete accounts they've created both online and through the app by December 7.