Google now requires app developers to verify their address and use 2FA

Google on Monday announced new measures^[1]
for the Play Store, including requiring developer accounts to turn
on 2-Step Verification (2SV), provide an address, and verify their
contact details later this year.

The new identification and two-factor authentication
requirements are a step towards strengthening account security and
ensuring a safe and secure app marketplace, Google Play Trust and
Safety team said.

As part of the changes, individual users and businesses in
possession of Google Play developer accounts will be asked to
specify an account type (personal or organization), a contact name,
their physical address, as well as verifying the email address and
phone number provided during account creation.

In addition, the search giant is also mandating users of Google
Play Console to sign in using Google’s 2-Step Verification to
prevent account takeover attacks.

According to the timeline shared by Google, developer account
owners will be able to declare their account type and verify their
contact details effective June 28, while coming August, all new
developer accounts will need to specify their account type and
verify their contact information at sign-up, in addition to
enabling 2SV.

All the aforementioned requirements are expected to be expanded
to all existing developer account owners later this year.

The development comes as part of the company’s efforts to combat
scams and fraudulent developer accounts on the platform that have
been sold in the past on underground
forums^[2] to disguise malware as
legitimate apps.

Earlier this April, Google said^[3]
its machine-learning detection capabilities and enhanced app review
processes prevented over 962,000 policy-violating app submissions
from getting published to Google Play, adding it banned 119,000
malicious and spammy developer accounts in 2020.