Google Play Child Safety Standards policy: fixes and checks

Your app is for adults, so a child-safety rejection feels like the wrong checklist. Google’s current scope includes covered adult-only apps. An age gate doesn’t by itself remove the requirement.

The Child Safety Standards guidance covers Anonymous and Random Chat apps and apps in the Social and Dating categories. Check both the app’s actual functionality and its declared category before deciding which requirements apply.

Read the rejection against each part of the requirement

The requirement involves published standards against child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE), an in-app feedback route, action on child sexual abuse material (CSAM), legal compliance, and a designated contact. A policy URL supplies only one part.

Part Google checks	What to inspect
Published standards	The exact URL opens publicly, covers CSAE, and identifies the app or developer
In-app feedback	A user can access the reporting or feedback mechanism within the app
Handling reports	A responsible person or team can receive, assess, and act on reports
Legal obligations	Your process covers the applicable reporting and child-safety requirements
Designated contact	The named person can answer questions about your prevention practices and compliance

We’d assign responsibility for incoming reports before finishing the declaration. A contact address and a policy page are useful only if someone can act on them.

Check the public page and the app separately

Open the submitted standards URL in a signed-out browser. Check that it loads globally without an account, identifies the correct app or developer, and clearly covers the relevant standards. If it’s part of longer terms, link to a prominent section.

Then open the submitted app and follow its feedback route. Use a harmless test report with invented details. Confirm receipt by the responsible team and check that the route described in the declaration exists in this build. Never use abusive material to test the process.

Have the responsible people review how they handle a real report, including removal and legally required reporting. Get qualified advice for the obligations that apply to your service. Your published policy needs to describe what your team can actually do.

Correct the part that failed

A broken standards link can be a website and console fix. A missing feedback mechanism needs app work. If nobody handles incoming reports, choose someone to receive them and act on them. Update the Child safety standards declaration with accurate information and follow the review instructions in the notice.

Keep the Families and target-audience questions separate. This policy can apply to an adult-only social app even when children aren’t its intended audience. If the app also hosts user content, review its moderation requirements.