Navigating Google Play’s Policy Maze: When Following the Rules Isn’t Enough

Based on TRUE LIFE STORY of a app developer!

In today’s app development world, developers are constantly told to follow the rules — those intricate, ever-evolving policy mazes that govern every facet of app creation. From privacy and data collection to obscure rules on user account management, we diligently tick the boxes, read through countless policy pages, and ensure that our apps comply with every last regulation.

But what happens when an app that meticulously adheres to every policy still gets rejected? You’re left scratching your head and staring at an automated response from a bot that seems to have barely skimmed the surface of your app. Welcome to the maddening world of automated app reviews.

The False Positive: Bots, Google Sign-In, and “Account Creation”

Let’s paint a picture. You’re a developer, trying to do everything right. Your app doesn’t allow users to sign up within the app — because that would require providing them with an account deletion option in compliance with the Google Play Account Deletion Requirement. Simple, right?

No sign-up forms. No user accounts . No problem. Well, not so fast.

You’ve integrated Google Sign-In to give users a smooth login experience(User accounts get created from admin portal with their company registered email ids). You know, the option that allows users to sign in with their existing Google account, a feature literally built by Google itself. During this process, the Google Sign-In screen presents the option to create a new Gmail account. This, however, is where the fun begins.

A bright red flag is raised. A violation alert shows up in your Play Console: Your app allows users to create an account but does not provide an account deletion option. Wait…what?

The Bot Patrol Strikes Again

Let’s be clear: this “Create Account” option doesn’t create an account in your app. It creates a Gmail account — on Google’s own services. Your app has absolutely zero involvement in this. But, of course, the Google Play bots reviewing your app aren’t intelligent enough to distinguish between signing up…