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In a recent update to its Google Play developer policies, Google addressed loot boxes, sex/nudity, and hate speech in its supported applications.
The specific changes outlined in an expanded Monetization and Ads page require developers with randomized reward items to "clearly disclose the odds of receiving those items in advance of purchase," which could incentivize games to lower loot box probabilities to make their purchase seem more worthwhile.
Loot boxes have come under scrutiny even outside of Google, as the Federal Trade Commission and Missouri Senator John Hawley are launching respective attempts to investigate and potentially ban them — the FTC will host a public workshop in Nov. 2019 to see if loot boxes violate consumer protections and Hawley's reportedly problematic bill aims to outlaw pay-to-win and gambling adjacent monetization in all games marketed to children under 18.
SEE ALSO:Loot boxes recommended for 'comprehensive review' in AustraliaOther changes to the Google Play policies focus more on cutting down sexualized content and hate speech, with new rules banning nudity unless the content is "educational, documentary, scientific or artististic [sic], and is not gratuitous." Depicting "sex acts or sexually suggestive poses" and "sexual aids" is also verboten.
Also defined as inappropriate content under the policies is hate speech, with restrictions on apps that assert, theorize, or encourage the idea "that a protected group is inhuman, inferior or worthy of being hated...or discriminated against."
While it seems clear that any apps games submitted to Google Play from now on will have to adhere to these rules, Google has not commented on how it plans to apply the loot box, sex, and hate policies to content that already exists in the store. Mashable has reached out to Google and will update this article with any response.
Update:
A spokesperson from Google confirmed to Mashable that Google Play will give creators whose games and applications are already in the store 30 days to alter any noncompliant content. After 30 days, the new policies will be enforceable by way of removal, which Google Play will carry out based on user reporting as well as in-house rep
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