Hello Google Drive / Workspace Developer Policy team,
We are developing LohnTrack, an Android application for time tracking and salary estimation in Germany (package name: com.lohntrack.app).
Before enabling the Google Drive API or uploading any test data, we would like to clarify whether our proposed optional backup and recovery feature is permitted under Google’s policies.
Proposed functionality
Users would be able to explicitly enable free, automatic backups of their own LohnTrack data into their personal Google Drive account, using only the drive.appdata scope and the application’s hidden appDataFolder.
Backups would contain work shifts, breaks, absences, time-account balances, historical salary settings and related application records. Their purpose would be to restore the user’s data on a new Android device if the previous device is lost or damaged.
The feature would be optional, require separate user authorization, and provide backup deletion controls. No unrelated Drive files would be accessed, and no backup copies would be uploaded to our own servers.
Policy clarification requested
The Google Workspace User Data and Developer Policy lists backup of user or application content from a developer’s app to Drive among prohibited use cases:
However, the appDataFolder documentation describes storage intended for application-specific data:
Additionally, the Google Drive API Terms of Service mention Google’s express prior written consent for certain use cases, including application-content backup:
We would appreciate clarification on the following questions:
-
Does the restriction apply to our proposed full application-history backup and recovery feature using
drive.appdata, including for personal Google accounts? -
Is there an explicit exception for
appDataFolder? If so, which policy governs it, and would the data and recovery purpose described above qualify? -
If only certain application configuration or state data is permitted, where is the boundary between permitted app-specific state and prohibited application-content backup?
-
Is it possible to request Google’s express prior written consent for this feature? If so, what is the official procedure, and which team is authorized to grant it?
We have paused the external Drive integration pending clarification. We are not attempting to bypass the policy by renaming the feature as synchronization.
If this forum is not the appropriate channel, please direct us to the responsible Google policy or approval team.
Thank you for your assistance.
LohnTrack Development
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