Google has banned third-party developers to request access to calls and SMS users

Journalists of the publication have paid attention to complaints on Google Play on the pages of Kaspersky Internet Security and Yandex applications

for Android, that some of the functions of the services have stopped working.

The function was missing from the Yandex application“Automatic Caller ID” (Caller ID), and from Kaspersky Internet Security - the “Call Filter” function, which allows you to block certain numbers, “Privacy Protection” —it limits the collection of data on user activity on the Internet — and “SMS anti-phishing” using which can block links to malicious sites in the SMS.

Yandex told that at the end of 2018Google updated the Android policy, prohibiting access to call data from third-party applications for which this is not the main functionality. Also, a voice assistant can have access to call data, so users who want to identify a number through the Yandex application will have to install Alice and select it as their primary voice assistant instead of Google Assistant.

Google representatives declined to comment on the Android rule change. Developers had to change the functionality of applications before March 9, 2019.