Google Play To Ban Call-Recording Apps

Google has announced a bizarre policy that effectively bans call-recording apps from the Play Store.

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[{"selector":"#anim-d80baead-2ba8-469e-a017-087358785fbd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6c51acfe-cf54-482a-bfeb-e73ca27b1b22","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.13924%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] As part of Google's crackdown on apps that use Android's accessibility APIs for non-accessibility reasons, Google says call recording is no longer allowed via the accessibility APIs.

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[{"selector":"#anim-ca786bf4-6f37-4357-bc6d-1b96a3c97d66","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-df386246-cf5c-4d7a-9af8-577bbf06ccb1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.13924%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] NLL Apps the developer of a call-recording phone app with a million downloads on the Play Store has been tracking the policy change.

[{"selector":"#anim-09c48b53-417a-4bfd-9116-949c7c89409c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-443b7f3e-7caf-4509-af47-2ea28c256b06","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.13924%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Google Play support page lays down the new law, saying: "The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording."

[{"selector":"#anim-ce013ffb-e3b7-4b5a-98e8-9082f5e3aa31","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5840db13-c818-4485-865f-5769f9917687","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.13924%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] There's no clear reason why Google is banning call recording from the Play Store.

[{"selector":"#anim-f6bbe172-12fb-4131-b81d-ab8568e740da","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-21549c40-6165-45de-812b-2b756de1ebf2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Many jurisdictions require the consent of one or more members of a call in order to start recording, but once you meet that requirement, recording is entirely legal and useful.

[{"selector":"#anim-765183e9-fd65-473d-b6b5-609c8fb78a03","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9392354-6582-46e8-ad33-4ee01e590467","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.4557%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Google Recorder app is a product built entirely around the usefulness of recording conversations.