Topic: Google Play Store to require developers address

[idolminds]

This is bad.

Couldn't decide if this should be in gaming or here but it will affect all apps so I picked here. I can only imagine a small time app developer reading this thing.

At the end of this month, all of us will be required to provide a physical address,

App developer: "Aww man, what? *sigh* Fine, as long as it's not...."

which will be publicly visible in the detail page for every app we publish.

App developer: "Oh Jesus WTF? That is so stupid. Well lets see, I guess the easiest solution would be to get a...."

Of the few stories I've seen about this policy change, many have suggested using a P.O. Box, but Google doesn't allow P.O. Boxes for Google Wallet Merchant accounts.

App developer: "COME ON!"



As the article points out with the crap over "gamergate" and seeing how badly people will go after individual developers over the dumbest shit, I can't imagine too many small devs will want to deal with this crap. I'm sure this will do wonders for attracting devs to Android. I have to wonder if Google is implementing this to follow some law somewhere if other app stores will be following.

[gpw11]

As the article points out with the crap over "gamergate" and seeing how badly people will go after individual developers over the dumbest shit, I can't imagine too many small devs will want to deal with this crap. I'm sure this will do wonders for attracting devs to Android. I have to wonder if Google is implementing this to follow some law somewhere if other app stores will be following.

It's an EU regulation. From what I understand different companies are handling it in different ways and I suspect Google just hasn't fully updated to comply - I know that when registering a business with Google Places they wouldn't allow PO boxes for the registered address, but they would for your public contact address.  I imagine this will be exactly the same.

[Pugnate]

This doesn't sound so bad. Just give a dummy address. Maybe a work address or something public. Could be ways around it.

[gpw11]

Well, you probably need access to it.  They sent me a card with a code on it for Places before they activated or something.


On that note, not accepting a PO box as a business address isn't entirely unusual.  There are ways around it.   Some stores/parcel services offer services exactly like a PO box, but just use unit numbers instead and I think there are businesses that basically act as a mailing address and then forward mail to you. 

Honestly, this doesn't seem like the biggest deal

[Cobra951]

Because you knew that.  I didn't, but I do now.  Makes sense, through.  Private businesses provide all kinds of services.  Then again, it's an extra expense, and even that alone is not going to go over well.

Also, off on a related tangent, while #gamergate attracted its share of nuts and trolls (what heated subject doesn't?) it's a very real thing.  The collusion is real.  The corruption is real.  And it's ongoing as I type this.

[PyroMenace]

Thanks for the unnecessary reminder.

[Cobra951]

Thanks for the unnecessary reminder.

This entire thread is unnecessary, pyro--this forum, even.  What's your point?  But if you want to spread your gratitude more fairly, start by thanking David Lejeune at Gamasutra, and then idol, before you get to me.

[PyroMenace]

Save it for the other thread.

[gpw11]

Because you knew that.  I didn't, but I do now.  Makes sense, through.  Private businesses provide all kinds of services.  Then again, it's an extra expense, and even that alone is not going to go over well.

Also, off on a related tangent, while #gamergate attracted its share of nuts and trolls (what heated subject doesn't?) it's a very real thing.  The collusion is real.  The corruption is real.  And it's ongoing as I type this.

I'm not saying that anyone reading the article shouldn't make a big deal out of it, I'm just saying that this guy probably shouldn't have written the article in the first place without looking.   Unless it's changed since I checked  last night (and this is possible), it was pretty much a mirror of the old Places set up I had dealt with - Enter your business address here (no PO Boxes allowed), enter your public contact address here (this is the one that shows up on the Play store - PO boxes allowed).

The guy actually took an issue that he thinks affects him enough to write a blog about it, but didn't look into it at all.  Like, AT ALL. 

As for the actual policy - not to sound like a Google apologist here, but it's not like they're doing it for the hell of it.  They're doing it to comply with a EU Consumer Protection directive.  Apple and Microsoft aren't complying because their business model is different and their store is managed differently.  In the Play store, the developer is the seller, Google just facilitates the transaction.  Lower fees, they don't curate the store, and developers get paid quicker.  It's pretty much the main strength of the Play store.  Apple and Microsoft treat it differently and they act as a reseller. They approve your app prior to sale, curate the store, get paid, and then pay you a "royalty" of 70%.  So, as far as the EU is concerned, having their address on file is the important part.   No one knows what Ebay will do, Etsy and some others are allowing sellers to either list address or block their sales from EU markets. 

The real question is whether or not the EU member states will allow PO boxes as public contact addresses.