Google Play Adds “Government” Badge to Identify Official Apps

Google Play has introduced a new “Government” badge to help users identify official government apps on Android. The badge, which is accompanied by a building icon, will appear in the main Apps feed, search results, and on app listings.

Tapping on the badge will reveal a short message: “Google Play has verified that this app is affiliated with a government entity.”

The badge will initially be displayed on official state and federal government apps in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Some of the apps that will feature the new badge in the US include NASA, FEMA, and IRS2Go. Other apps that will receive the badge include those related to public services, voting, identification, and parking tools.

The Play Store has been testing the new feature for a few months with over 3,000 government apps that have initially received the badge. Google encourages government organizations to use government emails when creating developer accounts.