Posted by Tatiana van Maaren – International T&S Partnerships Lead, Privateness & Safety, Might Smith – Product Supervisor, and Anita Issagholyan – Coverage Lead
With hundreds of thousands of builders counting on our platform, Google Play is dedicated to conserving our ecosystem secure for everybody. That’s why, along with our ongoing investments in app privateness and safety, we additionally constantly replace our insurance policies to answer new challenges and consumer expectations.
For instance, we not too long ago launched a new account deletion coverage with required disclosures inside the Information Security part on the Play Retailer. Deleting an account must be as straightforward as creating one, so the brand new coverage requires builders to supply info and net assets that assist customers to handle their knowledge and perceive an app’s deletion practices.
That can assist you construct belief and design a user-friendly expertise that helps meet our coverage necessities, contemplate these 5 greatest practices when implementing your account deletion answer.
1. Make it seamless
Customers choose a easy and easy account deletion move. Though customers know that extra steps might comply with (equivalent to authentication) navigating a number of screens earlier than the deletion web page could be a important barrier and create damaging emotions for the consumer. Take into account offering your account deletion possibility on an account settings web page or place a distinguished button on the house display. Design the move with discoverability in thoughts by taking the consumer on to the deletion course of.
2. Enable automated deletion
Customers really feel that if they will create an account with out speaking to a customer support agent, they need to be capable of delete their account on-line, too. If automation just isn’t in your roadmap simply but, contemplate a step-by-step deletion request type or a devoted web page to attach customers with buyer assist.
3. Supply steerage and clarify potential implications
Customers delete their accounts for varied causes, a few of which can be higher resolved one other approach. Early in your deletion move, level your customers towards a Assist Heart article that explains how your deletion course of works in easy phrases, together with any potential penalties. For instance, make it clear in case your customers might want to pause their fee technique earlier than deleting the account, or obtain any account knowledge they wish to hold. Serving to your customers perceive the method prematurely can stop unintentional deletions. For individuals who do change their minds, contemplate providing a approach to get well their accounts inside an affordable timeframe.
Right here’s an instance of how Play Retailer Developer, Canva, has designed the in-app deletion move to elucidate potential penalties of account deletion:
“Consumer knowledge privateness has all the time been essential for us. We’ve all the time been intentional about our strategy in optimizing the Canva app so our customers can have extra transparency and management over their knowledge. We’re welcoming these new necessities from the Play retailer as we all know this new move will elevate customers’ belief in our app and profit our enterprise in the long run.” – Will Currie, Software program Engineer, Canva
4. Verify account deletion
Generally customers misunderstand whether or not the account itself or simply knowledge collected by the app was deleted within the deletion course of. Customers typically assume that the information your app saved within the cloud will robotically be deleted similtaneously account deletion. Since it might take time to take away account knowledge from inner firm programs or adjust to knowledge retention necessities in numerous areas, transparency in regards to the course of may also help you preserve belief in your model and make it extra probably for customers to return sooner or later.
Right here’s SYBO Video games, has designed their net deletion in-app deletion move:
“We’re all the time striving to make sure that our video games present a enjoyable consumer expertise, constructed on a strong knowledge safety basis. After we discovered in regards to the new account deletion replace on Google Play, we thought this was an ideal step ahead to make sure that your entire developer ecosystem optimizes for consumer security. We encourage builders to carve out time to embrace these enhancements and prioritize common privateness check-ins.” – Elizabeth Ann Schweitzer, Video games Compliance Supervisor, SYBO Video games
5. Don’t overlook consumer engagement
This can be a nice alternative to attach together with your customers at a important second. Be certain that customers who’ve uninstalled your app can simply take away their accounts via an online useful resource while not having to reinstall the app. You may as well invite them to finish a survey or present suggestions on their resolution.
Defending customers’ knowledge is crucial for constructing belief and loyalty. By updating the Information Security part on Google Play and persevering with to optimize consumer expertise for account deletion, you may strengthen belief in your organization whereas striving for the best stage of consumer knowledge safety.
Thanks to your continued collaboration and suggestions in growing this knowledge transparency characteristic and in serving to make Google Play secure for all.
