Google Play Gets Safety Ad Campaign: ‘download Apps Not Traps’

To raise awareness about what the Play Store does, Google is launching a safety-focused advertising campaign about how you should “download apps not traps.”

The one below is pretty short at 36 seconds and about how Google Play performs over 10,000 safety checks on every app. This continuously occurs over the lifetime of an app, including before launch and updates. The “Lineup” ad features a Pixel 9 Pro, and a pretty good “Go Play” transition/tagline at the end.

Other tentpoles, which are all existing capabilities, that Google will highlight include:

Data safety section on app listings that provide “visibility into how an app collects, shares and protects your data,” like if it’s shared with third parties “or has certain security practices like encryption of data in transit.”

Play Billing is said to keep payment information “between you and Google” rather than sharing with app developers, while purchase verification is another touted capability.

Family/children controls like “additional Play requirements that the app must meet concerning its content and handling of personal information.”

“Control over your Play data,” like how you can “tell Play not to use data associated with a particular app for personalization within the Play store.”