In the morning news on December 15th, the Apple App Store officially launched the privacy information function, requiring developers to provide a summary of privacy practices , in this way, to explain to users where their data will be used.
This feature was first unveiled at the WWDC Global Publishers Conference in June, and now officially meets with developers and users. After this function is launched, users can see detailed “App privacy” information on the App introduction page on the App Store.
Apple’s “Family Bucket”-iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS, will all launch this privacy information page.
In addition, Apple updated the privacy page of its official website, detailing its updates on privacy protection, including teaching users how to manage their privacy.
Let you know in advance where the data will go
This “App Privacy” module contains three types: data used to track you, data associated with you, and data not associated with you. Each module will list separately which data will be tracked by the App; which data may be collected and linked to the user’s account, device or identity; or which data will be collected but not linked to the user.
This may be a bit complicated. To put it simply, Apple requires developers to put the matter of “collecting and tracking user data” on the surface, clearly telling users where all their data is going and what they are used for. . The reason why they are divided into the above three types is because Apple believes that these three types of users are the easiest to understand and have the greatest impact on user privacy.
Briefly explain these three types:
Data used to track you-we are more familiar with it. It combines the collected user data with data from other companies to provide users with targeted advertising push. For example, if you search for “leather shoes” today, the third-party mall App will push you “leather shoes” product advertisements, this is because the data you search is tracked;
Data associated with you-refers to the data associated with the user’s identity through the account and other information on the App. And “data that will not be associated with you” means that these data will be collected, but will not be associated with the user’s identity.
Putting data collection on the bright side is naturally a good thing for users. In the past, Apple strictly controlled App collection of user data. For example, the app must ask and explain when accessing user data for the first time, and only after the user agrees, can the data be called. Even strictly enough, if the app uses location information in the background for a long time, the system will remind users at regular intervals to tell them that the app is continuously using location information.
Nowadays, before downloading an App, users can learn from the App Store what types of data the App may collect.
Apple’s purpose in doing this is naturally to make the App as transparent as possible when collecting user data. Users have the right to know when the App is collecting their own data and why they are collecting it.
This is also the privacy principle that Apple considers when developing each feature:
1. Data minimization: try to reduce the call of user data to realize new functions;
2. Make full use of the capabilities of the device: the data that can be processed on the device is processed on the device, reducing cloud calls;
3. Transparency and control: If device data is necessary, then ensure that this work is transparent, such as letting users know when to collect data and why they need mobile phone data;
4. Security.
The “App Privacy” page on the App Store and the description of privacy permissions are clearly intended to further improve the principle of transparency. The user can see what data the app may collect before downloading the app and where the data will be used. And Apple requires all developers, including Apple itself, to answer these questions.
Of course, Apple also said that it will listen to users and developers and gradually improve this project.
The developer himself fills in and Apple is responsible for the review
Apple allows developers one month to complete the privacy permission statement. In the next update, these questions must be filled in, otherwise the App update will not be submitted. This also shows Apple’s determination to promote this feature in the App Store.
For developers, they don’t need to make changes to their apps or business models. Apple will provide a list of related resources, and developers only need to fill in and check the relevant information truthfully.
The reason why developers are asked to fill in by themselves instead of Apple doing it for them is because Apple believes that some data calls may not be clearly seen from the system level, and developers obviously know their apps best.
In addition to this reason, Apple believes that allowing developers to answer these questions on their own is equivalent to adding an additional “threshold” to the privacy mechanism. This “threshold” is to allow developers to proactively declare in the App Store which data will be used by the app and where the data will flow; and the second “threshold” is system-level control. When the app calls user data , You must first ask the user and request permission.
Through these two “thresholds”-two-way privacy practices (declared by developers and controlled by Apple’s system), Apple believes that the best privacy protection effect can be achieved.
Perhaps some users are worried, what if the developer does not fill in truthfully? In fact, Apple has a dedicated team responsible for app review. This team uses a combination of man and machine to detect App Store apps.
Apple will conduct irregular reviews. If there is an app that does not comply with the rules or does not fill in truthfully, Apple will communicate with the developer to help them adjust the declaration; if the developer has not made improvements after the communication, Apple will remove the relevant app , In severe cases, the developer’s account will be cancelled.
Regarding privacy, Apple has done this
The privacy authority description of the App Store is one of the main contents of this update of Apple’s privacy page. Apple has also made adjustments and enhancements in other areas, such as adding privacy reports and password security detection functions to the Safari browser, and even controlling browser extensions to prevent them from misusing your information.
There are also some functions that have been launched in the latest systems such as iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. For example, let the user decide whether the App can access your photos; let the user decide whether the App can get your precise location (if the answer is no, you can let the App get the approximate location without affecting the experience); and when the App calls the device The camera or microphone will be reminded by small dots in the device status bar.
All these newly added settings are to better protect users’ privacy, or to let users know clearly what the App is doing.
Written at the end:
I have to say that privacy is becoming more and more important to us. In the past, our mobile phones, watches, computers, and iPads were not that smart, and most of the functions could be done locally. Nowadays, with the development of networks and intelligence, the more data, the more accurate the model trained by the device and the more intimate services it provides.
However, this does not mean that the device can obtain and use our data at will. Apple thinks very clearly in this regard, this company hopes to find a balance between excellent experience and privacy protection, rather than let user data become a victim of excellent experience.
It can be said that how to make the device have an excellent experience while obtaining the least data is a topic that Apple has been researching. But it is not easy to achieve this, because this process is bound to touch the interests of some developers and even advertisers.
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