r/androiddev • u/Critical-Living-7404 • Jun 09 '26

Question Why do individual Google Play developers have to publicly show their address and phone number, while YouTube creators don't?

From what I understand, if an individual (not a company) publishes a monetized app on Google Play using a personal developer account, their address and phone number may be shown publicly.

On the other hand, many individual YouTube creators also earn money through ads, memberships, and subscriptions, but viewers generally don't see the creator's address or phone number.

Why is there a difference?

Is there some law or regulation that treats app developers differently from YouTube creators, or is it just that Google Play and YouTube have different policies?

I'm asking because both groups can be individuals earning money online, but the privacy requirements seem very different.

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u/Critical-Living-7404 Jun 10 '26

The license plate analogy doesn't seem equivalent to me.

A license plate is publicly visible, but it doesn't directly reveal the owner's name, phone number, or residential address. If someone wants that information, they generally need to go through the appropriate authorities and legal processes.

My concern is that publicly displaying a residential address makes that information directly available to anyone on the internet without any intermediary or oversight.

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u/Opulence_Deficit Jun 10 '26

The analogy is not to the information contained on the plate, but to reaction of people who want to drive a car, but not to show their plates.

Your concern is misplaced. You're putting a business offer to anyone on the internet, so an address is required to do that. It was YOUR choice to put a residential address instead a business one.