Last week, we published an article on the applications for generating travel certificates available on the Android Play Store, some of which aggregated the personal data of users for targeted advertising. Google has since deleted them all.
It is no longer possible to use an application to fill out travel certificates: they have been deleted from the Android Play Store, we found this April 24, 2020. The few applications, which had been downloaded several dozen thousands of times last week, were free and were not illegal. However, they encountered serious problems, which Numerama had raised : some took advantage of this to install cookies and earn advertising revenue, and none could ensure the security of the data entered by users. Above all, they were not developed by an official body, but by individuals. For these reasons, we strongly advise against using them.
Read : Travel certificate on smartphone: how to use it and where to download it
Google this week decided to remove these applications. As of April 18, the day after the publication of our article, the "Travel certificate" application, edited by Jéméry Roustang, was removed from the Play Store. He received an email from Google , explaining that the platform does not allow " applications taking advantage of a natural disaster, atrocity, conflict, death or any other tragic event ".
The applications generating travel certificates are no longer available on the Android Play Store // Source: Numerama screenshot
FUTURE APPS TO BE SANCTIONED BY GOVERNMENT
In another email, sent to the developer of the "French Travel Certificate" application , the American company explains that it will only accept applications generating certificates if they meet one of these criteria: that they were designed by a government agency or a health agency; that the developer has been commissioned by an official body; or that the application has received an official agreement.
Once these conditions are met and by providing the necessary documents, the developers can resubmit their application. Contrary to usual, where the applications submitted to the Play Store are checked by algorithms, they will therefore be subject to manual control.
Pending the publication of an application which would be sanctioned by the State, you must continue to use the official website of the Ministry of the Interior.
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