Google to Require Play Store Developers to Use 2-Step Verification

In what can only be described as a reasonable change, Google will require developers who publish apps to the Play Store to enhance their account security and provide additional proof of identification.

“Over the past few years, Google Play has seen tremendous growth. Android apps and games have become a critical part of people’s lives, built by developers of all sizes from all over the world, whether professionally or just for fun,” Google’s Luke Jefferson and Raz Lev write in a new post to the Android Developers Blog. “To keep Google Play safe and secure and to better serve our developer community, we are introducing two new security measures.”

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They are:

2-Step verification. To improve security, Google will require developers to sign in to their Google accounts using 2-step verification.

Additional identification proof. To date, developers who created a Google Play developer account were required to provide an email address and a phone number. Going forward, new and existing developers will also be asked to provide a contact name and a physical address, and to verify their email address and phone number.

These changes go into effect in August for new developer accounts and later this year for existing accounts.

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Conversation 5 comments

  • bart

    Premium Member
    29 June, 2021 - 9:12 am

    <p>I’d like this to go one step further; only allow apps that people can sign into with 2-step verification.</p>

    • Andy Babiec

      29 June, 2021 - 9:26 am

      <p>That’s a bit drastic – especially for apps that do not involve personal finances or sensitive information. </p><p><br></p><p>For example, I don’t want MFA for media consumption apps (Netflix, Spotify) or apps I use to order food, etc.</p>

      • bart

        Premium Member
        29 June, 2021 - 10:50 am

        <p>Those apps/accounts also contain CC info. So why not take the safe route and add TFA?</p>

  • red.radar

    Premium Member
    29 June, 2021 - 9:37 am

    <p>I suppose the identification requirements on developers are to reduce some of the Malware? They playing wack-a-mole trying to clean things up? </p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      30 June, 2021 - 8:43 am

      <p>Yep, has to be.</p>

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