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Google is OK with Play Store apps selling NFTs now
- Google Play Store NFT sales are now OK, per Google.
- Developers of Play Store apps will still need to follow certain rules.
- A select group of developers will lead this change later this summer.
Although blockchain-based tokenized digital assets — NFTs, mostly — have been gaining in popularity, Google has been reluctant to allow them on the Play Store. Until today, buying, selling, or earning NFTs has been against the rules for any apps or games distributed by the Play Store.
Today, though, that changes. In a new blog post, Google announced that Play Store NFT distribution is now OK. That means developers can offer users the ability to buy, sell, earn, or trade NFTs within Android apps.
Of course, Google isn’t opening the floodgates willy-nilly. Developers will need to follow certain protocols, such as being fully transparent with users. They must declare their systems in the Play Console, which will hopefully prevent nefarious devs from taking advantage of users with the notoriously shady world of NFTs.
Additionally, only certain developers will be able to offer Play Store NFTs at first. Google is working with a select group of devs to test the new user experience for digital assets. These partnerships should bear fruit by the end of this summer. Then, by the end of 2023, all developers will be able to offer NFT services.
Finally, in the blog post, Google makes it clear that it’s not going to tolerate any tomfoolery in this space. A rule will be that devs “may not promote or glamorize any potential earning from playing or trading activities.” Hopefully, this will block shady NFT apps from flooding the store.