Google is rolling out a new feature to Google Play that's designed to offer users age-appropriate content by sharing their age with developers. The feature is called Play Age Signals API, and it is already live for developers in Brazil, ahead of its global debut.
Play Age Signals API wants to know your kid's age range
Apps will be able to ask for your age rage. | Image by Google
This new API is part of the Family Link system, and it's designed to offer a way for parents to share their kids' ages with developers. This is done in quite an anonymous way, no birth date required. Play Age Signals allows apps to ask for the age range of a user, and the predefined ranges are as follows: 0-12, 13-15, 16-17, and 18+.
Developers can use this information to tailor the content of their apps to the age group using the app. This also could include things like how the app communicates with the users, the app interface, etc.
If an app requests an age range and gets 0-12, for example, it may tone down the language, change the visual style, and hide any inappropriate content.
Would you share your kid's age range with Google Play?
You can still choose to keep your kid's age range a secret
Parents will be able to deny access to their kids' age for all apps. | Image by Google
As you can see from the screenshot above, you could still choose to keep your kid's age range a secret and not share it with Google Play and app developers.
Parents shouldn't have to manage complex safety settings across dozens of different apps to keep their children safe. The Play Age Signals API simplifies this by putting age-sharing controls in one place, directly inside the Google Family Link app. Parents have a choice to share their child’s age range, and if they choose to share, all Play apps that use Play Age Signals API can receive age signals.
- Paul Feng, VP of Product Management, Google Play
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You can also postpone such requests from specific apps (probably indefinitely), effectively choosing which apps can use this new information.
Can developers misuse this information?
Potentially, but Google has very strict rules for the developers and big fines if they fail to stick to those rules. The information should be used only for delivering age-appropriate content.
This means your kid's age won't be used for marketing, advertising, or analytics purposes. It's also up to the developers of your favorite app whether or not they'll choose to take advantage of the new Play Age Signals API. So, there are no reasons for concern.
Play Age Signals API is coming to Canada and Australia next
The new tool is already available for developers in Brazil, and phase two is kicking off in the coming weeks. This will make the Play Age Signals API available in Canada and Australia.
Would you share your kid's age range with Google Play and the millions of developers there?
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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