INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Apple is cracking down on apps that don''t communicate to users how their personal data is used, secured or shared
In an announcement posted to developers through the App Store Connect portal, Apple says that all apps, including those still in testing,
will be required to have a privacy policy as of October 3, 2018.
Allowing apps without privacy policies is something of an obvious hole that
Apple should have already plugged, given its generally protective nature over user data
But the change is even more critical now that Europe GDPR regulations have gone into effect
Though the app makers themselves would be ultimately responsible for their customers& data, Apple, as the platform where those apps are
hosted, has some responsibility here, too.
Platforms today are being held accountable for the behavior of their apps, and the data misuse
that may occur as a result of their own policies around those apps.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, for example, was dragged before the United
States Senate about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from 87 million Facebook users was inappropriately obtained by way of
Facebook apps.
Apple new requirement, therefore, provides the company with a layer of protection & any app that falls through the cracks
going forward will be able to be held accountable by way of its own privacy policy and the statements it contains.
Apple also notes that the
privacy policy link or text cannot be changed until the developer submits a new version of their app
It seems there still a bit of loophole here, though & if developers add a link pointing to an external webpage, they can change what the
webpage says at any time after their app is approved.
The new policy will be required for all apps and app updates across the App Store as
well as through the TestFlight testing platform as of October 3, says Apple.
What not clear is if Apple itself will be reviewing all the
privacy policies themselves as part of this change, in order to reject apps with questionable data use policies or user protections
If it does, App Store review times could increase, unless the company hires more staff.
Apple has already taken a stance on apps it finds
questionable, like Facebook data-sucking VPN app Onavo, which it kicked out of the App Store earlier this month
The app had been live for years, however, and its App Store text did disclose the data it collected was shared with Facebook
The fact that Apple only booted it now seems to indicate it will take a tougher stance on apps which are designed to collect user data as
one of their primary functions going forward.
