Google Begins Mandatory Content Ratings For Android Market

Google announced that this week it will begin requiring Android mobile developers to include content ratings for applications and updates submitted to the Android Market, according to a post last week on the Android developers blog. It's the first time since the 2008 launch of the digital mobile storefront that Google will require developers to rate the content of their games. The rating levels are All, Pre-teen, Teen and Mature. For games currently on the Android market, their developers will have the "next several weeks" to submit ratings for their games or applications. Games and apps that do not receive a rating from their developers by the time Google makes the ratings visible on the the Android Market will default to a "Mature" rating. Apple's App Store, which is a more closely-regulated platform compared to the Android, implemented mandatory age-based content ratings and parental controls with the introduction of iOS 3.0 in 2009. Android's developer website goes into specific guidelines when rating games. For example: Profanity and Crude Humor Apps that include profanity or crude humor should be rated “Teen” or above. Sexual and Suggestive Content Apps that include suggestive or sexual references should be rated “Teen” or above. Apps that focus on such content should be rated “Mature”. Pornography is not allowed in Android Market. Violence Apps that include mild cartoon or fantasy violence should be rated “Pre-Teen” or above. Realistic or intense fantasy violence should be rated “Teen” or above. Graphic violence should be rated ‘“Mature”. Gratuitous real violence is not allowed in Android Market. Google is trusting that developers are honest when rating their games, but it will follow-up on user complaints regarding ratings. The company told developers that "users can notify us if they believe your app is incorrectly rated" by flagging a title as such, and if Google agrees that the rating is inaccurate, the company will re-rate the app according to its own guidelines. "Repeat offenders may be subject to further action, up to and including account termination," the company added.