The information you provide will be shown on your store listing to help users better understand your app’s privacy, security, and data handling practices before they download it.
Overview
Google Play required additional details in the Data Safety section on the Google Play store starting in 2022. Developers were mandated to inform Google about their apps’ privacy and security practices by completing a form in Play Console. Beginning in late April 2022, this information was displayed on app store listings to help Google Play users understand how apps collect and share user data before downloading. The Data Safety section on Google Play served as a straightforward way for developers to help users understand what user data their apps collect or share, as well as to showcase their apps' key privacy and security practices. This information has since aided users in making more informed choices when deciding which apps to install.
This document will help you know how to answer the Google Play Data safety questionnaire for the Mobile SDK.
- Provide information for Google Play’s Data safety section – Play Console Help
- Review how your app collects and shares user data | Android Developers
To find the Data safety questionnaire:
- Go to your Play Console for your app
- Click App content in your sidebar menu
- Click Start under the Data safety section
The Data safety questionnaire is divided into 5 parts:
- Overview
- Data collection and security
- Data types
- Data usage and handling
- Preview
We aim to be as transparent as possible in supporting you; however, as the app developer, you are solely responsible for deciding how to respond to Google Play’s Data safety section form regarding your app’s end-user data collection, sharing, and security practices.
Important: To help you ensure that your app’s disclosures are accurate, we recommend the following:
• Always use the latest SDK versions in your app. This page lists the data collected by only the latest version of each SDK.
• Review this page whenever you update your app’s SDK versions. Check that your data disclosures are accurate and up-to-date.
Default Mobile SDK Guidelines Only
These guidelines are only for the most basic usage of the Mobile SDK.
They do not cover how an individual app uses their data or every way the SDK can be utilized.
These are the data types you should be considering.
• Disclose how your app is using those data types in the questionnaire.
• Consider if your app is collecting any of those data types in your Alchemer Digital engage events and disclose them in the questionnaire.
• Consider if your app is collecting any of those data types in any custom data collection for Person and/or Device and disclose them in the questionnaire.
• Consider if your app is collecting any of those data types for any additional reasons not listed below.
Timeline & Deadline Information
Data collection and security section
This is the second part of the Data questionnaire flow.
| Question | Answer | Why |
| Does your app collect or share any of the required user data types? | • Yes | Data is collected and shared with Alchemer |
| Is all of the user data collected by your app encrypted in transit? | • Yes | Traffic is encrypted by default (HTTPS) when sent over the network |
| Do you provide a way for users to request that their data is deleted? | * Per-app basis | Alchemer can delete a user’s data at the request of the company that collected it. Whether or not that feature is offered by the company, and is requested to us, is out of our control. *Please answer according to your circumstance. |
Data types section
This is the third part of the Data questionnaire flow. This will be broken up by the interactions that Alchemer Digital provides.
Alchemer Digital Core Functionality
Alchemer Digital is designed to capture user data to provide insights. All features of Alchemer Digital use this.
| Play Category | Play Data type | Play Description | Why |
| App activity | Page views and taps in app | Information about how a user interacts with your app. For example, the number of page views or the screen coordinates of taps. | Primary functionality of Alchemer Digital Alchemer Digital tracks data points through the engage eventThese are most frequently done through page views |
Any interactions
Every interaction of the Mobile SDK uses this data type.
| Play Category | Play Data type | Play Description | Why |
| App activity | Other actions | Any other user activity or actions in-app not listed here such as gameplay, likes, and dialog options. | Every interaction the user does with Alchemer Digital interactions has an engage event associated with itThis includes choosing to dismiss interactions |
Survey
Alchemer Digital surveys use this data type.
| Play Category | Play Data type | Play Description | Why |
| App activity | Other user-generated content | Any other user-generated content not listed here, or in any other section. For example, user bios, notes, or open-ended responses. | Surveys answers (particularly open-ended responses) are considered user-generated content |
Message Center
Message Center uses these data types.
| Play Category | Play Data type | Play Description | Why |
| Messages | Other in-app messages | Any other types of messages. For example, instant messages or chat content. | Primary functionality of Message Center |
| Personal info | Name | How a user refers to themselves, such as their first or last name, or nickname. | User can provide their name for personalization when communicating with support |
| Personal info | Email address | A user’s email address. | User can provide their email to give additional info to support Customer can require the email to be provided |
| Photos or videos | Photos | A user’s photos. | Can be sent as an attachment |
Data usage and handling section
This is the fourth part of the Data questionnaire flow.
This is for basic usage and implementation of the Mobile SDK.
Consider what kind of information your app is collecting through engage events and CustomData .
Also, consider how your company is ultimately using the data you collect and answer accordingly.
Alchemer Digital Functionality
These are how you can answer the Data Safety questions if you are using any part of the Mobile SDK.
| Play Category | Play Data type | Is this data collected, shared, or both? | Is this data processed ephemerally? | Is this data required for your app, or can users choose whether it’s collected? |
| App activity | Page views and taps in app | Check both • Collected • Shared | • No | • Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection) |
| Play Category | Play Data type | Why is this user data collected? Select all that apply. | Why is this user data shared? Select all that apply. |
| App activity | Page views and taps in app | • App Functionality • Analytics | • App Functionality • Analytics • Alchemer Digital uses some of the Analytics data to support customers |
Any Interactions
These are how you can answer the Data Safety questions if you are using any Alchemer Digital Interactions.
| Play Category | Play Data type | Is this data collected, shared, or both? | Is this data processed ephemerally? | Is this data required for your app, or can users choose whether it’s collected? |
| App activity | Other actions | Check both • Collected • Shared | • No | • Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection) |
| Play Category | Play Data type | Why is this user data collected? Select all that apply. | Why is this user data shared? Select all that apply. |
| App activity | Other actions | • App Functionality • Analytics | • App Functionality |
Survey
These are how you can answer the Data Safety questions if you are using any Alchemer Digital Surveys
| Play Category | Play Data type | Is this data collected, shared, or both? | Is this data processed ephemerally? | Is this data required for your app, or can users choose whether it’s collected? |
| App activity | Other user-generated content | Check both • Collected • Shared | • No | • Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection) |
| Play Category | Play Data type | Why is this user data collected? Select all that apply. | Why is this user data shared? Select all that apply. |
| App activity | Other user-generated content | • App Functionality • Analytics | • App Functionality |
Message Center
These are how you can answer the Data Safety questions if you are using Alchemer Digital Message Center
| Play Category | Play Data type | Is this data collected, shared, or both? | Is this data processed ephemerally? | Is this data required for your app, or can users choose whether it’s collected? |
| Messages | Other in-app messages | Check both • Collected • Shared | • No | • Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection) |
| Personal info | Name | Check both • Collected • Shared | • No | • Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection) |
| Personal info | Email address | Check both • Collected • Shared | • No | • Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection) |
| Photos or videos | Photos | Check both • Collected • Shared | • No | • Data collection is required (users can’t turn off this data collection) |
| Play Category | Play Data type | Why is this user data collected? Select all that apply. | Why is this user data shared? Select all that apply. |
| Messages | Other user-generated content | • App Functionality • Analytics | • App Functionality |
| Personal info | Name | • App Functionality • Analytics | • App Functionality |
| Personal info | Email address | • App Functionality • Analytics | • App Functionality |
| Photos or videos | Photos | • App Functionality • Analytics | • App Functionality |
Checks by Google
Checks is a new privacy platform for mobile app developers that helps create a safer digital ecosystem by simplifying the path to privacy compliance for development teams and the apps they’re building.
As of May 2022, Checks is in beta and requires joining a waitlist to enter early access
Attachments
Alerts about importing our CSVs
• Answers already entered into the form will be overwritten
• The question “Do you provide a way for users to request that their data is deleted?” is answered as Yes
• Please review if your app provides that functionality.
• These are for basic usage and implementation of the Mobile SDK only.
CSV if using Message Center
data_safety_export-With_Message_Center. Download
