Android Market Apps Require Rating Based on Content

Mountain View-based Internet giant Google has put in place some new rules for the applications submitted to the Android Market, the portal where users can download and install various software solutions on their Android-powered mobile phones.

The company requires developers to categorize their applications based on what they include, in accordance with four different levels of content rating, including All, Pre-Teen, Teen, and Mature.

As stated above, the category each app falls into is given by the content that the application in question includes. Thus, Google aims at determining whether a software solution available for Android is appropriate for certain users or not.

“Please use our application ratings to help users determine whether your application and its content is appropriate for them. This includes all the content in your app, including user generated content and ads, and content that your app links to,” Google notes in a recent post on the Android Market support website.

“All applications should adhere to the Android Market Developer Content Policy. Ratings don’t need to reflect the difficulty or quality of your app.

“Please use the following as guidance in determining the appropriate rating category. As the developer, you are ultimately responsible for rating your application in the appropriate category.”

At the same time, the company announced that users would have the possibility to notify Google in case one application was incorrectly rated.

“If we agree that the flagged app is incorrectly rated, we will re-rate it per our guidelines. Repeat offenders may be subject to further action, up to and including account termination,” the company continues.

The Internet giant also posted detailed guidance to how developers can rate their applications based on the content included in them, such as gambling, violence, profanity, hate, drugs and more.

Developers with applications in the Android Market, or those who plan on releasing mobile applications for Google's Android operating system, should head over to this web page to learn more on the new rules.