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After a testing period, Google on Wednesday launched a new feature in the Play Store designed to combat deceptive apps.
In over 14 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and India, official government apps now display a "Government" badge.
This aims to help users identify legitimate apps and avoid those impersonating government services for malicious purposes.
The company says the badge currently applies to over 2,000 apps across the supported countries. Google first announced this feature in November of last year as part of its updated rules for app developers.
Users can verify an app's authenticity by tapping the "Government" badge, which triggers a pop-up message stating,
“Play verified this app is affiliated with a government entity.” The badge also appears in various app lists, such as "Top Charts."
To ensure the integrity of the system, Google emphasizes its collaboration with governments and their developer partners to assign badges. This initiative takes on particular importance in countries like India, where fake government apps have been a significant issue.
Google states that its existing Play Store policy prohibits apps with misleading descriptions, icons, and screenshots, especially those falsely claiming to be official apps.
The company's policy against deceptive behaviour explicitly notes that "apps that falsely claim affiliation with a government entity or to provide or facilitate government services for which they are not properly authorized" are not permitted.
