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In-app ads rules sharpened in revised Google Play dev agreement

Responsibility firmly in the studio's hands

In-app ads rules sharpened in revised Google Play dev agreement
Google has made a number of changes to its Google Play Developer Program Policy, giving developers 30 days to ensure that their existing applications adhere to rule changes.

The Developer Program Policy now includes an entire section on advertising, with in-app ads now subject to the same regulations as the Android apps themselves.

Verboten

Essentially, developers are responsible for ensuring that any ads displayed do not violate any of Google's policies, and in general "ads are considered part of your app for purposes of content review."

Google has clarified its position on payments, too, stating that – with one or two exceptions for physical goods and digital media – app purchases and in-app purchases alike must always make use of Google Play's payment system.

As for subscriptions, Google states that any user who cancels a subscription will not receive a refund for the current billing period. However, the user must continue to receive the relevant subscription content for the remainder of the billing period, too.

Other changes to the policy include a general crackdown on apps that imitate either system apps or other Google Play applications, and a full outlining of Google's spam policy.

For more information, click through to read the Google Play Developer Program Policy in full.
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PocketGamer.biz's news editor 2012-2013