Google is also following suit! Require apps to disclose what data they collect

Google said it will create a new security section in its mobile app store Google Play that will allow Android smartphone users to see what data developers collect and share, or what privacy and security information they access. Google's parent company Alphabet said in a blog post on Thursday that Android app developers must disclose this information by the second quarter of 2022. Users will see the relevant security information in the Google Play Store in the first three months of 2022.

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Google's push for more transparency around apps mirrors a 2020 decision by rival Apple Inc to require app developers to disclose what information they collect and how it is used.

Apple's recently updated iOS 14.5 includes an "App Tracking Transparency" feature that actively asks users to choose whether to be tracked by apps in order to receive personalized ads. App developers expect this change to lead to reduced revenue because most consumers will not agree to apps collecting their data.

Google, which itself relies on advertising revenue, has taken a more cautious approach, reportedly discussing ways to limit data collection and cross-app tracking on its Android operating system, but in a less stringent way than Apple's move.

The security content in the Google Play Store also tells users whether the app encrypts data, whether it complies with Google's policies for families and children, whether users can choose to share information, and whether users can request that data be deleted when they uninstall the app.