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Android Market to introduce age ratings for games and apps

By Alec Meer

Fri 26 Nov 2010 8:29am GMT / 3:29am EST / 12:29am PST
Developer ToolsMobile

Google reveals first part of plans to regulate its mobile app store

Google

Google is seeking to introduce more organisation to the Android Market, its App Store equivalent.

While the Android operating system and associated download store has been praised for its comparatively open structure, there has also been concern about its somewhat unregulated nature.

From next week, all developers submitting new apps or updates must add an age rating. Any that do not will be automatically classified as 'Mature'.

Developers of existing apps will have "the next several weeks" to update their software with an age rating. The age categories are All, Pre-teen, Teen and Mature (specific details here), and will come into public play in the coming weeks.

Google has promised further improvements to the Market in the near future.

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8 Comments

Philipp Nassau Student - Business Administration (M. Sc.)

51 19 0.4
I really like this, now update all the phones' software to allow for child safety measures and parents will finally gain some control. I'm not advocating blocking instead of educating but to make sure a 12 year old doesn't just get anything would probably convince some more parents to allow smartphones in their kids' hands.

Posted:5 years ago

#1

Alex Loffstadt Community Manager, Outso Ltd

84 0 0.0
Would be nice to see Google using PEGI and helping push for PEGI becoming the universal standard for Games ratings.

It will be interesting to see if Google and the devs concerned have considered the legal implications.

Posted:5 years ago

#2

Stephen McCarthy Studying Games Technology, Kingston University

205 0 0.0
i had no idea they did not have this.
It good to see they are doing it then.

Posted:5 years ago

#3

Wesley Williams Quality Assurance

143 88 0.6
Now we just need some decent games and a better marketplace

Posted:5 years ago

#4

Maria Violentano Digital Policy Developer, Department for Education

3 0 0.0
Whilst it is a shame that Google haven't opted to use the PEGI system at this point, this is still a positive and important move.

Of particular note was the inclusion of the line "Ratings don’t need to reflect the difficulty or quality of your app." Hopefully this well help to tackle a lack of understanding on the part of some parents about what the significance and meaning of the BBFC ratings on games were.

Posted:5 years ago

#5

Daniel Vardy Studying HND IT, De Montfort University

90 1 0.0
im not sure why they need this, ive had a browse of the droid market quite a few times and everything seemed harmless to me. i understand why they are doing it, but have yet to see a reason for justifying such a move

Posted:5 years ago

#6

Joe Chard Studying MBA, University of Virginia

1 0 0.0
Seriously???? How is this a priority over improving the overall user experience? This is straight offensive to developers who are working hard to produce entertaining apps for Android users and are struggling with the horrible app distribution on the platform. Boooo.

Posted:5 years ago

#7

Simon Slee Head of Asia Pacific, Small Screen Entertainment

1 0 0.0
How about fixing the issue of the need for multiple versions of the same App to allow for handset variations instead of developers having to upload multiple versions...a little more important than age rating. And what age rating, which system...there are at least 5 systems worldwide

Posted:5 years ago

#8

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