Google Play requiring gen AI apps to let you easily report offensive content

Google Play today announced its latest Android app policies across gen AI safety, privacy protections, and limiting disruptive notifications. 

Applications that leverage generative AI — for chatbots, text, or image generation — will need to have an in-app reporting or flagging system for offensive AI-generated content. Google says developers “should utilize these reports to inform content filtering and moderation in your apps – similar to the in-app reporting system required today under our User Generated Content policies.”

This is Google Play’s first standalone policy for generative AI, but those apps must already submit to policies “prohibiting and preventing the generation of restricted content,” as well as deceptive behavior. The requirement will be going live “early next year.”

Meanwhile, “apps will only be able to access photos and videos for purposes directly related to app functionality.” Google wants applications that access your media on a “one-time or infrequent” basis to use the system photo picker. This is meant to limit what apps have broad access to your data.

On the notifications front, the full screen intent notification — as used by alarm clock apps or incoming video and phone call screens — permission will only be granted to apps that require it as part of their core functionality. This applies to apps targeting Android 14+ and was discussed during the Developer Preview. All other apps will require special app access permission for this high-priority alert.