Google announced a new feature for its app marketplace today - a TRUSTe administered data privacy certification program. 

TRUSTe created the certification program for installable Marketplace apps to verify that app publishers/developers are clearly communicating their data handling and privacy practices to app users (consumers). Participants in the program will see displayed a green TRUSTe logo on an app’s Marketplace listing page when certified as well as search results pages. The logo links then to a certification summary with more specific information about the app. The program is optional for vendors.

Buyers of apps with the TRUSTe certification will know that the vendor has been contacted and certified by TRUSTe personnel, the purpose for data collection and sharing, the security used for sharing (https), and the privacy policy.

Google did make it known that since certification is optional, the absence of a TRUSTe seal should not imply the app has unacceptable or difficult-to-understand practices for data handling and privacy.