Apple puts apps on a privacy diet from December 8

The iOS 14 App Privacy diet

Apple will require all apps submitted to the App Store to carry developer-created “Privacy Labels” starting December 8, the company said.

This was a move announced at WWDC and is intended to provide app users with deeper insight into the privacy practices of apps they install and download.

What Apple said

A note on the Apple Developer website reads:

“Later this year, the App Store will help users understand an app’s privacy practices before they download the app on any Apple platform. On each app’s product page, users can learn about some of the data types the app may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them. You can now enter your app’s privacy information in App Store Connect. This information will be required to submit new apps and app updates to the App Store starting December 8, 2020.”

What date will be provided?

Developers will need to share what types of data they collect, which third-party partners (if any) can access that data.

In addition, if a data collected by an app meets some, but not all, of the following criteria, it must be disclosed in App Store Connect

“Data types that meet all of the following criteria are optional to disclose:

• • The data is not used for tracking purposes, meaning the data is not linked with Third-Party Data for advertising or advertising measurement purposes, or shared with a data broker. For details, see theTracking 
  • The data is not used for Third-Party Advertising, your Advertising or Marketing purposes, or for Other Purposes, as those terms are defined in theTracking 
  • Collection of the data occurs only in infrequent cases that are not part of your app’s primary functionality, and which are optional for the user.
  • The data is provided by the user in your app’s interface, it is clear to the user what data is collected, the user’s name or account name is prominently displayed in the submission form alongside the other data elements being submitted, and the user affirmatively chooses to provide the data for collection each time.”

There is much more on this here.

The Privacy labels look like this

What does this all mean to you?

For users, it means you’ll be empowered with deeper insights into the data collection that’s being transacted in any app you may or may not choose to install. As existing apps are updated, all apps will come with these privacy labels.

When you look to install an app you’ll find a link that takes you to the App Privacy page for that app. Here you’ll be told what data is collected and how it is used and/or connected to you.

If an app asks for too much, the best response is just not to install it. Does that app need your data? Probably not. Is there an alternative app? Possibly.

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