Developer.com content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
As of September 30, Google is requiring all mobile development firms with Android apps on Google Play to list a physical address on their account. That address will be available to the general public through the app store, and developers who do not comply could find their apps withdrawn from the store.
The policy change has come under harsh criticism from small developers who work from home. They say making their home address publicly available violates their privacy. Others say the new policy will help ensure quality by holding the mobile development industry to minimum standards of professionalism. Shane Schick at FierceDeveloper agrees with this second group, writing, “Developers have always known they could make the jump from hobbyists to real entrepreneurs. It’s time they started looking like them.”
