Google has explicitly warned app developers to be wary of the type of information they share with Huq, a British organization that sells location data, and further stated that apps that do not comply with the rule risk being banned from the Play Store.
This comes after Huq confirmed that two of its partners failed to obtain users about the data they shared. During the development of an app, app developers embed a line of code provided by Huq, which feeds back the location data, which is collected and then sold to customers in a variety of areas. Google says that any app developer guilty of failing to obtain users’ permission before sharing their data risks ultimately being expelled from its Play Store platform.
Huq’s CEO, Conrad Poulson, confirmed the decision to ensure the protection of user data: “We continue to take the matter of data protection and consent very seriously and actively support any initiative designed to make improvements in this regard. It is extremely important to us that we continue to work alongside our partners to help ensure privacy best practices are implemented and maintained.”