Google cracks down on dishonest loan applications

Nowadays, getting loans from banks or even your families can be difficult. That is why online loan applications exist to inform you that borrowing money is as simple as 123. but some loan applications are dishonest.

By limiting their access to sensitive information about debtors, Google is enforcing stricter regulations against predatory loan apps.

The ability to view the contacts, images, and locations of their clients on their Android smartphones will soon be removed, making it more difficult for predatory lending apps to use threats, violence, and other forms of harassment and blackmail to collect debts.

The change will take effect by May 31, 2023. Google recently updated its policy on personal loans to explicitly state that apps offering personal loans "may not access user contacts or photos."

The following permissions cannot be obtained by personal loan apps in particular:

Access_fine_location

Read_contacts

Read_external_storage

Read_media_images

Read_media_videos

Read_phone_numbers

Google's updated policy requires additional requirements for personal loan apps in Pakistan due to reports of users being blackmailed after failing to repay loans.