The tech giant Google has asked app developers to avoid using its Accessibility Service for other purposes. As the service was designed for people with disabilities, if someone uses it for other reasons, Google said it will have that authority to remove such apps from its Play Store.
The search giant also said that the use of its Accessibility Service for other purposes could bring a security issue. The service actually helps users with disabilities and Android has a set of Accessibility Services that developers can use to improve their applications.
"Google is most likely cracking down on Accessibility Services use due to security reasons. While applications like LastPass use the available APIs to identify password fields in other apps, this level of access can be used maliciously," tech portal Android Police reported on Monday.
After facing many security issues and hacking complaints, Google is now determined to avoid other problems and will make sure that they are not going to get into any trouble. So the tech company sent an email to the developers, saying that, "unless developers can describe how the app properly uses the Accessibility Services to help users who are disabled, it will need to remove all requests for accessibility services or it will be taken off of the Play Store."
There are some apps which use Google's Accessibility Services such as LastPass, Universal Copy, Clipboard Actions, Cerberus, Tasker and Network Monitor Mini. The new directive could have major consequences for many apps, especially those intended for customisation or power users.
"All violations are tracked. Serious or repeated violations of any nature will result in the termination of your developer account, and investigation and possible termination of related Google accounts," Google said.
