Apple adding privacy fact labels to App Store items

(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 7, 2016 the Apple logo is seen on the outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium before the start of an event in San Francisco, California. - Apple must pay more than $500 million in damages and interest for 4G patent infringements held by intellectual property company PanOptis, a Texas court has ruled. The US tech giant -- now worth almost $2 trillion -- will appeal the August 11, 2020 decision, local media said. PanOptis, which specializes in licensing patents, took Apple to court in February last year, claiming it refused to pay for the use of 4G LTE technologies in its smartphones, tablets and watches. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP)

A man walks inside the Apple store in Hong Kong on October 10, 2019. – Apple on October 10 removed an app criticised by China for allowing protestors in Hong Kong to track police, as Beijing steps up pressure on foreign companies deemed to be providing support to the pro-democracy movement. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)

Apple on Monday began adding labels that reveal what user data is gathered by games, chat or other software offered in the App Store for its popular mobile devices.

The iPhone maker announced plans for such “privacy labels” when it first unveiled the new version of its iOS mobile operating system, which it released in September.

“App Store product pages will feature summaries of developers’ self-reported privacy practices, displayed in a simple, easy-to-read format,” Apple said in a blog post when iOS 14 launched.

“Starting early next year, all apps will be required to obtain user permission before tracking.”

Apple began pushing out the labels on Monday, with the rule applying to new apps for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Mac computers.

The labels will contain information provided by developers when they submit apps for approval to appear on the App Store’s virtual shelves, according to the Silicon Valley-based company.

Apple last week began requiring developers to submit privacy information for use in labels.

“Apple recently required that all apps distributed via their App Store display details designed to show people how their data may be used,” Facebook-owned smartphone messaging service WhatsApp said in a blog post explaining what data the app gathers.

“We must collect some information to provide a reliable global communications service.”

The aim, according to Apple, is for users to be able to easily see and understand what apps do with their data, from lists of contacts to where they are.

Data types added to labels will include tracking in order to target advertising or sharing with data brokers, as well as information that could reveal user identity.

Apple and Android mobile operating systems provide tools for controlling the kinds of data apps can access once they are installed.

Join Our Channels