[Android Apps and Games] easyjoin:
App Status: Removed. Issue found: Invalid privacy policy URL​

Same motivation as a couple of weeks ago. App is removed from the Play store as of Dec. 19 2022

UPD 2022/12/19 07:37 EET

Google removed the already removed app for the same reason I had described in the following post (

https://www.reddit.com/r/android_devs/comments/vdv6ax
) even though I was told the problem had been fixed. I'm not sure if the app is doubly removed, whatever it means, or if it's no longer removed because of the privacy policy but for this other reason.

UPD 2022/12/19 20:32 EET

Mail from Google regarding the appeal [6-3575000033301].In this email they inform me that the app is (continues to be?) removed because it is "not compliant with the Data safety section of our User Data". Specifically "Data Safety Section: Personal Info Data Type - Phone number".

I asked them (2022/12/19 22:47 EET): "The appeal [6-3575000033301] was about the "Invalid Privacy policy URL", as you can see in the attached screenshot (screenshot_01.png). Has the violation been resolved by verifying that it is not present? If yes, why is it still present in developer console?".

I get no answer about it. In developer console i still see that the violation is about the privacy policy URL. They replied at 2022/12/20 01:32 EET that the issue is about "Data Safety Section".

The "Data safety section" issue is the same described in the post

https://www.reddit.com/r/android_devs/comments/vdv6ax
. I had appealed ([4-0703000032350]) because it's not possible to fill out the section they indicated. At the time I wrote to them:

"My application allows users to share SMS and contacts between their devices. Users send the above data directly, without using external servers, from their devices to their devices: the data is not sent to a server of mine, or to a third-party server, but directly between one user's device to the other.

This is why in the section of "App content > Data safety" where it is declared if the app collects user data I cannot answer "Yes" and complete the questionnaire. The "Data safety" section explicitly states : "On the next screen, you'll be asked whether your app collects or shares any of the required user data types. 'Collected' means data that is transmitted off the user's device, either to you or to a third party. ". The app does not send the data to either me or a third party."

They never replied to me about how to fill out that section since it doesn't cover the app's use of the data. At the time I sent an update to the app, just to unblock the whole situation, I didn't fill out the section and the app was reinstated.

I replied (2022/12/20 07:25 EET) with the same text I sent at the time, adding:"I would like to clarify that the app does not collect the data that is the subject of these emails, but retrieves them. t is the user who sends this data from one of his/her device to another."

UPD 2022/12/20 17:52 EET

They replied with the following email:

"However, as mentioned previously, we reviewed your Data safety section and found discrepancies between your disclosure and app behavior. For example, you must still disclose:

APK 161: Policy Declaration - Data Safety Section: Personal Info Data Type - Phone number

APK 167: Policy Declaration - Data Safety Section: Personal Info Data Type - Phone number

Please make changes to align your app’s Data safety section with the app’s behavior. This can be done by either:

Updating your form in Play Console to declare collection of Data Types noted above, or

Removing functionality and attributable code that collect this user data from your app or libraries used in your app. "

I replied (2022/12/20 18:16):

"I would have no problem filling out the app's Data safety section.

The problem is that I can't fill out this section because it goes against the rules imposed by you (Google). I am reporting again what is described in this section (screenshot_03.png):

"On the next screen, you'll be asked whether your app collects or shares any of the required user data types. 'Collected' means data that is transmitted off the user's device, either to you or to a third party. "

The app does not send the data to either me or a third party. Are you asking me to falsely state and declare that the app collects this data? If yes, what should I specify in the next steps of this section when asked if the data is sent encrypted and if the user can request its removal? Please refer to attached file “screenshot_04.png”

Given the inability to complete this section without false declaration, should I still remove the functionality listed in your email even though no rules are broken?"

They replied:

"Unfortunately I'm not able to comment on your app's compliance and your planned implementation.

As much as I'd like to help, I’m not able to provide any more detail or a better answer to your question. In our previous email, I made sure to include all the information available to me.

You should be able to find more about your issue here:Developer Policy Center

If you have a different question, please let me know.

Regards,MaxThe Google Play Team"