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If you're an Indie developer, you know all too well that having your private information available to the public can be incredibly dangerous. Just look at the mess that's been going on with #GamerGate these past few weeks. So it is rather baffling that Google is about to require that all Indie developers put a non P.O. Box address on their apps or games if they appear on the Google Play Store.
The only time where a developer doesn't have to put a public address is if their app is free and does not include any in-app purchases. A message was sent out through the developer console noting this upcoming requirement.
Android Police contacted Google Play Developer Support to see if they could find out any additional information. Not only did they confirm the requirement, they also noted that failure to comply with the requirement will result in the removal of any of the developer's published apps from the Play Store.
Due to this policy and the enforcement of it, even those developers that sell their app for just $1 will effectively open the doors to all sorts of harassment, hate mail, or worse. This is especially problematic from those Indie developers that work out of their own homes.
One potential loophole, as noted by a post on Reddit, is to open a mailbox at the UPS Store. These act as actual mailing addresses and not P.O. Box addresses.
The only time where a developer doesn't have to put a public address is if their app is free and does not include any in-app purchases. A message was sent out through the developer console noting this upcoming requirement.
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. If you don't provide a physical address on your account, it may result in your apps being removed from the Play Store.
If you have paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, it's mandatory to provide a physical address where you can be contacted. If you don't provide a physical address on your account, it may result in your apps being removed from the Play Store.
Android Police contacted Google Play Developer Support to see if they could find out any additional information. Not only did they confirm the requirement, they also noted that failure to comply with the requirement will result in the removal of any of the developer's published apps from the Play Store.
We are requiring developers to provide a physical address for all paid apps or apps that enable in-app purchases. The address will be displayed to users in the app store listing page. By September 30, 2014, you'll be able to add a physical address by going to your Settings page on the Developer Console (https://play.google.com/apps/publish/#ProfilePlace[1]). Please comply within 30 days of the warning notification on the developer console. If you do not provide an address within this period, Google may take action affecting your account. This may include restricting your ability to update apps or publish new apps. Continued failure to provide an address may result in published apps being removed from the store.
Due to this policy and the enforcement of it, even those developers that sell their app for just $1 will effectively open the doors to all sorts of harassment, hate mail, or worse. This is especially problematic from those Indie developers that work out of their own homes.
One potential loophole, as noted by a post on Reddit, is to open a mailbox at the UPS Store. These act as actual mailing addresses and not P.O. Box addresses.