Google Sets New Android App Rules To Cut Memory Use

by News Editor

August 28, 2026

Google is introducing new quality requirements for Android apps as developers face tighter constraints on device memory and broader hardware supply pressures.

The company announced two new requirements this week. One focuses on reducing apps’ memory use and improving code efficiency, while the other requires apps to restore users’ sign-in status when they move to a new Android device.

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Google Sets New Memory Performance Rules

Google said the mobile industry is facing “significant hardware supply constraints that are altering device memory availability,” which could affect app performance and the user experience.

Under the new rules, developers will need to meet thresholds covering areas including dynamic memory and bitmap usage. Additional code optimisation requirements are designed to reduce slowdowns and crashes linked to excessive resource use.

Google is also rolling out tools that alert developers when their apps exceed the new limits. More diagnostic features are planned later this year, including deeper analysis through Android’s Memory Limiter, which restricts excessive memory use.

Developers have until February 2027 to comply with the new standards, according to Google’s Android Developer documentation.

Zero-Tap Sign-In Requirement Starts In 2027

A separate requirement will apply to all apps distributed through Google Play. By April 2027, apps that use optional or mandatory sign-ins must automatically restore a user’s sign-in state when they move between Android devices.

The feature will rely on Android’s Restore Credentials API, which is designed to transfer sign-in credentials during device migration without requiring users to log in again.

Google said the new standards are intended to help developers maintain app performance and simplify device transitions as device specifications and memory availability change.

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Meta’s $18 Billion Settlement Limits State Claims Over Children’s Data

by News Editor

August 28, 2026

Meta’s $18 billion settlement with attorneys general from 29 U.S. states includes a provision limiting future state claims over the company’s use of children’s data for age-assurance systems.

Under the agreement, Meta must develop, train and begin testing a system to identify users under 13 within a year of the settlement taking effect. The company already uses AI-based age-detection tools, although the agreement does not require the new system to use AI.

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States Agree To Limits On Future Claims

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) generally restricts the collection and retention of personal data from children under 13. Under the settlement, the 29 state attorneys general agreed not to bring past, present or future claims under COPPA or similar state laws over the specified use of children’s data.

Meta will not be permitted to use information from users under 13 for advertising, marketing or algorithmic optimisation.

Federal Enforcement Remains Unclear

COPPA is primarily enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, which is not a party to the agreement. That leaves open the possibility of separate federal action over how Meta collects or uses children’s data.

Another issue is whether Meta can keep age-assurance data isolated from its other systems. An independent auditor will monitor compliance, but the settlement does not fully specify what data Meta can retain for training, how long it can be stored or whether derived insights can be used elsewhere.

Legal Risks Remain

Joshua Wurtzel, a partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan, said states could still pursue claims if Meta uses the data outside the settlement’s limits. Such cases could depend on how those limits are interpreted.

Peter Jackson, a data and intellectual property attorney at Greenberg Glusker, said the provision could “disincentivize future enforcement actions.”

The agreement gives Meta greater legal certainty around using children’s data for age assurance, but questions remain over federal enforcement, data retention and secondary use.

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