Google has updated its developer policies to make it easier for Android Developers to keep within the guidelines. The redesigned Google Play Developer Policy Center has an interactive menu and clearly spells out what isn't allowed. 

The redesign introduces a new organizational structure for the Developer Program Policies, which are now grouped into six themes:

Clicking on one of the six titles lists the topics covered and for each one examples of common violations are provided.

In its email to Google Play developers, the Google Play team explains that this is part of its 

"continuing effort to make Google Play the most trusted community for developers and consumers".

At the same time Google has a updated some policies and highlights the following in the email with visual examples of violations.  

• The Ads policy now prohibit inappropriate ads, specifying that:

The ads shown within your app must be appropriate for the intended audience of your app, even if the content by itself is otherwise compliant with our policies.

• The Ads policy now also prohibits ad behaviors that interfere with other apps, ads or with device functionality, a restriction that extends to overlays, companion functionality, or widgetized ad units and requires that ads only be displayed within the app serving them.
  
  
• The Device and Network Abuse policy now explicitly bans apps that try to bypass system power management features.
  
  
• The User Data policy has been extended to include a privacy policy requirement when collecting contact/phonebook data.

The Google Play Team warns:

Any new apps or app updates published after this notification will be immediately subject to the latest version of the Developer Program Policy. If you find any existing apps in your catalog that don’t comply, we ask that you unpublish the app, or fix and republish the app within 30 calendar days of receiving this email. After this period, existing apps discovered to be in violation may be subject to warning or removal from Google Play.

Now the policies have been made easier to find and understand, it is to be hoped that fewer apps will breach the rules and have to be evicted from Google Play.

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