Android Market to require content ratings on apps

By on Nov 24, 2010 at 8:01 PM
Software November 24, 2010

A recent post by Google seems to indicate that the company will require application content ratings on all present and future applications listed in the Android Market.

“Please use our application ratings to help users determine whether your application and its content is appropriate for them,” reads the post. “This includes all the content in your app, including user generated content and ads, and content that your app links to.”

Applications can be rated all, pre-teen, teen, or mature and Google notes that “hate speech” is not permitted in the Android Market; Google is also mandating that applications that use location not be categorized for all users. There are several other category pre-requisites. Hit the jump to have a look at all of them.

Read

Tags:
, , , , , ,
29 Comments

Related Articles

  • Mgl323

    I’m surprised this hasn’t been done since the beginning.

    • Anonymous

      Why I’ve never heard of an app store requiring ratings before…

      • Mgl323

        Since Androids Market contains porn apps and other mature apps that other Apps stores don’t have.

      • sirpaul

        Apple app store has age restrictions/ratings as well. Try downloading any beer related game, for instance. You have to say you are 17+.

      • Anonymous

        i never understood that, cuz all you have to say is yes…lol.

      • Anonymous

        Well color me wrong.. I’ve used every appstore at least once but have never dl’ed a 17+ iPhone app.. But it’s still not required on all apps tho

      • sirpaul

        @Celz
        Take a look at the popular game Call of Duty: Zombies. 17+ for realistic violence or something like that.

      • Mgl323

        I love that game lol

      • sirpaul

        @mgl
        Yep, I used to be almost obsessed with that game. I got to level 28 I believe, alone. I knew the map so well that I could get anywhere with my eyes closed.

      • numetheus

        @NYCLady: Yes, but the whole reason for a rating system is to help remove liability from the corporation when legal issues arise. In this sue happy society a parent can sue the company for allowing their child to download questionable content. This started in the early days of gaming where parents tried suing game developers because violent games caused their child to commit crimes (mimicking) and perform violent or dangerous acts. Even though it’s a simple question, it helps in a situation where Google can simply say … “The software warned them this is for mature people.”

  • Anonymous

    I think it is a good idea… with total freedom comes responsibility.

  • Norm

    WTF? The DROID market is starting to sound the Apple App store. This is garbage. Steve Jobs has to be behind this. DROID OS is open source. If I want anti-gay, Nazi, or meth recipe apps I should be able to get them because this is an open source platform. I might be done with DROID and move to MeeGo.

    • sirpaul

      Doesn’t DROID DOES?

    • Anonymous

      This is Google; other app markets will have different standards. Verizon and Amazon have announced plans for Android app markets, and others will have them as well… There will most likely be some completely-open markets that allow anything to be sold, no limitations at all.

      This isn’t Android; this is Google. The two are NOT the same…

    • lurch

      There is no “DROID market”. You’re a jackass.

    • numetheus

      Okay you obviously have no clue what the term open source means. It refers to a method of software development where the source code is shared for the purpose of collaborative development. Meaning … Your write a piece of software, and under the open source guidelines I make improvements to your code and share it. It has absolutely nothing to do with freedom of content within the software. So open source has nothing to do with the ability to distribute anti-gay, Nazi, or meth recipes.

      Steve Jobs most likely has nothing to do with this. Rating systems help to remove liability from Google if a kid were to say … Download something with nudity and parents decide to sue them for allowing this to happen. It is unfortunate that corporations have to build walls because parents don’t police their own children, but that’s the world we live in.

      Your comments show just how ignorant you are.

      • Anonymous

        Linux and Firefox are perfect examples of being open source. Android is a OS used as a tool by the carriers. Until the next version of Android is released nobody in the Android community is able to contribute code. Get your facts straight just because Google doesn’t care if moders provide code after release (mostly to free users from carrier garbage) doesn’t make Android truly open source. You want to see open source coding try participating in Ibuntu, Elf, or Firefox those are all real open source projects.

      • numetheus

        My comment has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not ANDROID is considered open source. Your reading comprehension is not up to snuff. Norm suggested that it is not open source because he should be able to get software related to Nazis if he wanted to. I was describing what open source was because he obviously did not know. My post does not suggest in ANY way that Android is in fact a true open source project. It was a definition of the term. Please learn reading comprehension.

      • Anonymous

        Ok then fair enough color me wrong for posting out of hand. Good to see we’re both on the same page :)

      • numetheus

        Lol yeah we are. Norm seems to talk out of his ass a lot without knowing what he is talking about.

  • Anonymous

    Boy Genius you may be, but your headlines are HIGHLY misleading.

    ANDROID doesn’t require anything in terms of ratings; GOOGLE will require ratings for their MARKET. Other markets, and Android in general, don’t have any ratings required at all.

    • sirpaul

      Andrew wrote it, not BG.

      • Anonymous

        He’s not part of the BG team of authors? I was using “Boy Genius” as a general reference to the authors of the site…

      • sirpaul

        holy shettt I’m sick of the stupid comment moderation! It won’t let me post stuff for some reason! Guys, PLEASE get rid of it it’s so annoying! A comment becomes irrelevant after a few days (when it finally gets approved..if it gets approved).

      • sirpaul

        Basically what I said in my moderated comment is that before bgr was bought we referred to Jonathan as BG (his nickname or handle or w.e. u want to call it).

      • Mgl323

        Amen to that. I’m starting to miss the old comment system.

  • https://me.yahoo.com/a/J7Mg.aBrt_zUZAONR5KHn_om4dCMew--#37f81 destardi

    I think it’s a good idea.This isn’t FORCING restriction; it’s just a categorization, and will help police the Market. Remember: it’s asking developers to SELF-POLICE…that’s a whole lot better than what Apple does.

  • Anonymous

    Makes sense and could help to keep content not appropriate for the underaged out of their hands.

  • Anonymous

    I call bullshlt. Google’s Android is open and to be truly open you can not have any rules. What happens next, fragmentation?

blog comments powered by Disqus