25 November 2010, 11:30

Google's Android Market to gain content ratings

Android Market Logo Google has announced that "in a few weeks" it will begin showing content ratings for all applications and games in the Android Market. According to a post on the Android Developers Blog by Android Developer Ecosystem lead Eric Chu, "Providing users with more information about applications on Android Market has been a top request from Android users".

The new content ratings will provide users with additional information about each app in order to help them select the application that best suits them. To prepare for the change, starting next week, developers submitting new and updated applications will be required to include a category rating for their apps. Additionally, developers will be required to add a rating to existing apps over the next several weeks. Once launched, applications that do not include a rating will be treated as "Mature" by Google.

Chu notes that the Android Market’s content policy will remain "the same as before: applications will be rated according to four content rating levels: All, Pre-teen, Teen, & Mature". Further information about the rating levels can be found on the Android Market Help Center

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