All of Google's Main Apps Now Feature Privacy Labels

Four months after Apple first began requiring apps to add App Privacy labels to their App Store listings, Google has finally updated all of its most popular apps with the information, letting people know exactly what data Google is collecting.

Google Apps Privacy Feature 1
Google began adding App Privacy labels to its apps in February after months of delaying. Gmail, for example, got App Privacy labels on February 22, and other apps have been slowly updated over time.

Google Maps was quietly updated with privacy information last week, and as noted by The 8-Bit, Google today updated its last main app with App Privacy details, adding the information to Google Photos.

As a consequence of taking so long to add App Privacy labels, many of Google's apps went months without an update. Apple began enforcing App Privacy labels on December 8, and any new app or app update submitted after that time had to include the information.

google photos maps privacy labels
Back in February, it had been two months since Gmail was updated, and the app started giving users a warning that it was out of date and should be updated, but there was, of course, no update available. Gmail was finally updated on March 1.

Though Google ‌Photos‌ and Google Maps now have App Privacy labels, the apps still have yet to be updated. It's been four months since Google Maps and Google ‌Photos‌ got bug fixes or new features, which is highly unusual as Google typically pushes regular updates.

It's not clear why Google delayed adding App Privacy labels to its apps for so long as it isn't exactly a surprise that the company is collecting quite a bit of data from users. Google Maps, for example, uses coarse location, search history, browsing history, identifiers, and usage data for third-party advertising purposes, with Google Search using much of the same information.

All of the data that Google is collecting is now listed in the ‌App Store‌ for each individual app for those who are interested.

Top Rated Comments

mystery hill Avatar
28 months ago
With Google and Facebook, it’s easier if they list what information they don’t collect.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DinkThifferent Avatar
28 months ago
I deleted the YouTube app from my phone. The amount of data they collect is crazy. I hardly watch any videos on my phone, so why not delete the app.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
agffth Avatar
28 months ago

I deleted the YouTube app from my phone. The amount of data they collect is crazy. I hardly watch any videos on my phone, so why not delete the app.
Get rid of your phone. That will really stop the data collection.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ForkHandles Avatar
28 months ago
I can’t work out for the life of me why I have absolutely none of those apps installed!!!!!!??
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
28 months ago
Good step forward. Good job Google.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
28 months ago
It would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

google drive for desktop1

Google to Roll Out New 'Drive for Desktop' App in the Coming Weeks, Replacing Backup & Sync and Drive File Stream Clients

Tuesday July 13, 2021 1:18 am PDT by
Earlier this year, Google announced that it planned to unify its Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync apps into a single Google Drive for desktop app. The company now says the new sync client will roll out "in the coming weeks" and has released additional information about what users can expect from the transition. To recap, there are currently two desktop sync solutions for using Google...