Google now requires Play Store app developers to verify their address, phone number, and use 2FA.
Google announced on Monday new measures for the Play Store, including requiring developer accounts to enable 2-Step Verification (2SV), provide an address, and verify their contact information by the end of 2021.
The new changes affect both individual developers and businesses who hold developer accounts on Google Play and distribute their apps, to specify an account type (personal or organization), a name contact information, their physical address, as well as verify their email address and phone number. In addition to the above, they should also use 2-step verification when logging in.
Existing accounts they will start declaring the above from today and by the end of the year they should all have complied. New accounts from August onwards will need to specify their account type and verify their contact details.
The changes come as part of the company's efforts to combat them scams and the fraudulent developer accounts, already sold on underground forums, to disguise the malware as legal applications.