Google Play now labels Android apps and games containing ads

Google Play’s Android apps and games containing any type of ad have begun receiving prominent labels within their listings. The label is placed directly below the Install button, accompanied by the existing in-app purchases label when pertinent.

This labeling initiative started as a requirement for apps in the so-called Designed for Families program last year, before being expanded to all apps last November. In a letter to developers at the time, the Google Play team informed them that they would have to sign into the Play Developer Console by January 11 of this year to certify whether or not each of their apps contained ads. That reporting requirement is repeated each time a developer wants to update an app.

Inaccurate reporting is grounds for being delisted, Google said at the time.

The policy covers any type of ad being shown throughout the app, whether native, display, banner, or served up through third-party networks. The appearance of the first Play Store labels was reported by a Reddit user.