Oh, baby! If only Ben were here…
[Claire Porter][1]:
EVERY time you purchase an app on Google Play, your name, address and email is passed on to the developer, it has been revealed today.
Good news.
The “flaw” – which appears to be by design – was discovered this morning by Sydney app developer, Dan Nolan who told news.com.au that he was uncomfortable being the custodian of this information and that there was no reason for any developer to have this information at their finger tips.
[Like Marco][2], developer Dan Nolan doesn’t want to be responsible for managing and protecting the personal information of his customers. He doesn’t need the information, and isn’t sketchy enough to even dream of doing anything malicious with it. But, I have a feeling that Nolan isn’t representative of every developer on the Google Play store.
According to Nolan, this is how the Google Play store has worked since the beginning. You buy an app, that app’s developer gets your deets.1
Now, we all know [Google cares deeply about protecting your personal information][2]. And there’s no chance that they would let developers have your information without some sort of policy established for such a transaction…
Google’s terms of service state that it may store your personal information including your name, address and billing details, but nowhere in its privacy statement does the company explicitly state that it passes on your personal information to developers, every time you purchase their app.
The terms of service state that Google will share your address and personal information if you purchase a magazine subscription through Google Play, but it makes no mention of other apps.
Yeah, but guys… “Open.”
[1]: http://www.news.com.au/technology/massive-google-security-flaw-puts-users-details-on-display-for-all-to-find/story-e6frfro0-1226577210852
[2]: http://www.marco.org/2012/01/06/autorenewable-subscription-restrictions
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