London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

Google was forced to remove apps from its app store after they violated children's data collection laws

Google was forced to remove apps from its app store after they violated children's data collection laws

Google removed the Princess Salon, Number Coloring and Cats & Cosplay apps

Google has removed three popular apps from the Google Play Store after it was discovered the apps violated laws surrounding data collection efforts on children.

The apps in question, Princess Salon, Number Coloring and Cats & Cosplay, were determined to have violated "broader Google Play policies around data collection," according to a statement from the International Digital Accountability Council. It was the group's researchers that alerted Google to the violations.

“The practices we observed in our research raised serious concerns about data practices within these apps,” IDAC’s president Quentin Palfrey said in the statement. “We applaud Google for taking steps to enforce on these apps and the third-party data practices within these apps.”



The three apps had more than 20 million downloads each, according to TechCrunch.

The non-profit watchdog also had issues related to the software development kits (Unity, Umeng, and Appodeal) the apps used, noting that certain versions of the Unity SDK were "collecting both the user’s AAID [unique user ID for advertising] and Android ID simultaneously, which may have allowed Unity to bypass privacy controls and track users over time and across devices."

FOX Business has reached out to Google with a request for comment.

This is not the first time Google has had controversy surrounding apps in its app store as it pertains to children.

In 2018, researchers analyzed more than 5,800 of the most popular free children’s apps and found a majority of them might be violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

According to the study, thousands of the tested apps collected the personal data of children under age 13 without a parent’s permission.

In May 2019, three dating apps were removed from Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store after the Federal Trade Commission alleged the apps allowed children as young as 12 to access them and appeared to violate multiple laws.

The news comes just days after the Justice Department said it was bringing an antitrust lawsuit against Google for its monopoly in search. In response, Google has said the lawsuit is "deeply flawed" and reliant on "dubious antitrust arguments."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×