The new platform will scan app codebases and provide automatic suggestions where regulatory compliance can be improved
Google announced it will be rolling out a new platform called Checks to make it easier for mobile app developers to ensure their product is compliant with current privacy regulations. Checks will use artificial intelligence (AI) to scan codebases and provide automated privacy insights and recommendations where it spots areas that potentially fall foul of privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The platform will also allow developers to analyse their code against regulations in the United States and Brazil, and against the Google Play Store Developer Policies. Checks is aimed at developer teams of all sizes and is a product of Google’s in-house incubator programme, Area 120, which sees employees come together to work on entrepreneurial projects.
Area 120 has produced a range of projects since it launched in 2016 that have been integrated into the likes of Google Cloud, apps for Google Assistant, and new Search functionality. Interested parties can request early access to Checks as of now, with various pricing tiers on offer. A free version only checks against Google Play’s data safety section, the ‘Core’ tier checks against GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and more domestic regulations, costing $249 per app, per month.
The ‘Premium’ tier offers deeper insights into the app’s privacy policy, permissions, SDKs, and data sharing elements of the app, while the ‘Enterprise’ tier is priced on a bespoke basis. Subscriptions are limited to monthly payments at the time, meaning developers cannot pay for longer terms, though they can cancel at any time. Checks said it does not collect or store any app or user data, nor does it share anything with the Google Play team.
