Google has solved one of the biggest problems of the modern digital age. After months of testing, the company is now rolling out labels to identify fake government apps from the original ones in the Play Store. The labels denote official state and central government apps and help users avoid fake apps that pretend to be official apps and steal users’ data and money.
The labels are not exclusive to India and are available in more than 14 countries, which include Australia, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, India, and Mexico. These labels currently cover more than 2000 apps. The company first teased the labels last November when it announced new rules for app developers.
Users will now see a new ‘Government’ label on the official apps. On clicking these labels, a pop-up shows up, which says, “Play verified this app is affiliated with a government entity”. These labels are also present in lists like “Top Charts” for apps.
Google has announced that it has collaborated with governments and developers to introduce badges for certified apps. In India, Google has faced the issue of numerous fake government apps being listed on the Play Store, which are designed to deceive people. Google has stated that its Play Store policies prohibit apps with false descriptions, misleading icons, or screenshots, especially those that claim to be official apps. One of the most common violations includes apps that falsely claim affiliation with a government entity or provide government services without proper authorization, which is considered deceptive behaviour according to Google's rules.
Meanwhile, Google is developing a new type of emojis called "Audio Emojis" that will add sound effects to conversations. These emojis will be introduced in the upcoming update of the Google Phone app. The feature was discovered in beta testing by 9to5Google. Audio emojis will include six different sounds that can be heard by both parties during a call. These sounds include Clapping (Applause), Laughing, Party Crying (Trombone), Poop, and Sting (Ba Dum Tss).
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