Apple & Google to provide new privacy details of extensions in its app stores

guest · Nov 12, 2020

“Privacy Nutrition Labels” in Apple’s App Store
November 12, 2020
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/11/privacy-nutrition-labels-in-apples-app-store.html

Apple will start requiring standardized privacy labels for apps in its app store, starting in December:

Apple allows data disclosure to be optional if all of the following conditions apply: if it’s not used for tracking, advertising or marketing; if it’s not shared with a data broker; if collection is infrequent, unrelated to the app’s primary function, and optional; and if the user chooses to provide the data in conjunction with clear disclosure, the user’s name or account name is prominently displayed with the submission.

Otherwise, the privacy labeling is mandatory and requires a fair amount of detail. Developers must disclose the use of contact information, health and financial data, location data, user content, browsing history, search history, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics, and more. If a software maker is collecting the user’s data to display first or third-party adverts, this has to be disclosed.

These disclosures then get translated to a card-style interface displayed with app product pages in the platform-appropriate App Store.
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The concept of a privacy nutrition label isn’t new, and has been well-explored at CyLab at Carnegie Mellon University.
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Apple: App privacy details on the App Store

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’ll need to provide information about your app’s privacy practices, including the practices of third-party partners whose code you integrate into your app, in App Store Connect. This information will be required to submit new apps and app updates to the App Store starting December 8, 2020.
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xxJackxx · Nov 12, 2020

This will be as useful as developers are honest.

guest · Nov 18, 2020

Starting next year, Chrome extensions will show what data they collect from users
Google will add a "Privacy practices" section on each Chrome extension's Web Store page listing
November 18, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/start...-will-show-what-data-they-collect-from-users/

Google said today it plans to add a new section on the Chrome Web Store where extension developers will be able to disclose what user data they're collecting from users and what they plan to do with the information.

The new section is set to go into effect on January 18, 2021, and will appear as a "Privacy practices" button on each extension's Web Store listing.
To aid the process, Google has added a new section today in the Web Store dashboard where extension developers will be able to disclose what data they collect from their users and for what purposes.
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Google's new "data disclosure" policy is not unique. At the WWDC 2020 developer conference in June this year, Apple announced that all App Store app listings will soon be required to include a "privacy prompt (label)" that will list all the data points apps collect from users and which data points are used to track users across apps.

Apple's privacy labels are scheduled to go live on December 8, next month.
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Google said it plans to show notices to all developers in the Web Store developer dashboards and prompt extension makers to set up a "privacy practices" section.
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Chromium Blog: Transparent privacy practices for Chrome Extensions

Protecting users and their data is a fundamental aspect of the work we do on Chrome. Last year, as part of Google’s Project Strobe, we announced an important set of policies for extensions to protect users and their data.

Today, we are announcing changes that build upon those protections with an update to our developer policy that limits what extension developers can do with the data they collect. The new policy also requires developers to certify their data use practices, and display that information directly on the Chrome Web Store listing to help users understand an extension’s privacy practices.
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guest · Nov 19, 2020

Each Chrome extension has to reveal which data it collects and how it processes it from 2021 onward
November 19, 2020
https://www.ghacks.net/2020/11/19/e...cts-and-how-it-processes-it-from-2021-onward/

Starting January 2021, all Chrome extension developers will have to reveal which data it collects and how that data is processed on the extension's Chrome Web Store page. Failure to do so by March 2021 will lead to the eventual termination of the extension and the disabling of it on user devices.
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Developers need to certify privacy polices in regards to the selling or transferring of data to third-parties.
Google introduces a new data privacy policy next to that limits how extension developers may use collected data:

It prohibits the use or transfer of user data for personalized advertising.

It prohibits the use or transfer of user data for creditworthiness checks, lending qualification, and to data brokers or information resellers.

Highlights that the sale of user data is never allowed.

Ensure that the use or transfer of data is "for the primary benefit of the user and in accordance with the stated purpose of the extension".

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Closing Words
The process is mandatory but it is the developer who fills out the privacy information on the dashboard. Google does not provide the resources to verify that what is filled out by the developer matches what the extension collects actually; while there may be manual checks if extensions are reported to Google or detected, it is a system that is largely based on trust and not verification.

The information is useful nevertheless, as users get a quick rundown on the data that a particular extension collects, provided that the developer has checked the different items truthfully in the dashboard.
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guest · Nov 24, 2020

Apple Reminds Developers to Submit Privacy Info for 'Nutritional Label for Apps' Feature
November 24, 2020
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/24/app-store-privacy-label-reminder/

Apple today reminded developers to submit privacy information for their apps using App Store Connect, with that info set to be used for a new privacy label feature that will be added to each ‌App Store‌ app.

Apple announced the new privacy feature during WWDC, and it will see apps providing specific details on the information that is collected from users when an app is downloaded. Apple has likened the privacy feature to a nutritional label for apps, and developers are required to self-report the information.
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Apple is planning to roll out the privacy feature later in 2020, and as of December 8, will require newly submitted apps and app updates to include this information.
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Apple: App privacy questions requirement starts December 8

The App Store will soon help users understand an app’s privacy practices before they download the app on 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. If you haven’t already, enter your app’s privacy information in App Store Connect.

As a reminder, this information will be required to submit new apps and app updates to the App Store starting December 8, 2020. Existing apps will remain available for download.
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guest · Dec 5, 2020

Here's when users can expect App Store privacy nutrition labels
December 4, 2020
https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...can-expect-app-store-privacy-nutrition-labels

Apple will start requiring developers to include information for App Store privacy "nutrition labels" on Dec. 8. Here's what that means for users.

The privacy information, first announced as an iOS 14 feature in June, will be displayed on an app's App Store page. The goal, Apple says, is to increase the transparency around what kinds of data an app collects, and what happens to that data.
When users can expect the nutrition labels
As far as when users can start expecting the privacy nutrition labels to show up, that might take some time.

Apple will begin requiring developers to submit privacy information with new apps or app updates on Tuesday, Dec. 8. However, in a developer update Friday, Apple noted that existing apps will remain available to download.
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Apple: Reminder: App privacy questions requirement starts December 8

The App Store will soon 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. If you haven’t already, 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. Existing apps will remain available for download.
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guest · Dec 9, 2020

Scoop: WhatsApp goes after Apple over privacy label requirements
December 9, 2020
https://www.axios.com/whatsapp-appl...nts-cc0d5edd-ab2f-4549-b9d7-ea3c97184056.html

Facebook's global messaging service WhatsApp is protesting Apple's requirement that app owners submit information about the user data they collect for use in new privacy labels coming to Apple's app store.
The state of play: WhatsApp says that the provision is anti-competitive because Apple's own encrypted messaging service, iMessage, is preinstalled on iPhones and doesn't need to be downloaded from Apple's app store, where the privacy labels are now required.

“While providing people with easy to read information is a good start, we believe it’s important people can compare these 'privacy nutrition' labels from apps they download with apps that come pre-installed, like iMessage."

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Details: WhatsApp submitted the required information to Apple on Monday. In a blog post detailing the issue, the company clarified what type of information it does collect versus how it will be portrayed per Apple's new label.

"Our teams have submitted our privacy labels to Apple but Apple's template does not shed light on the lengths apps may go to protect sensitive information," a WhatsApp spokesperson said. "While WhatsApp cannot see people’s messages or precise location, we're stuck using the same broad labels with apps that do."

The big picture: The privacy "nutrition labels" are part of a greater privacy push by Apple following its latest iOS 14 system update in September.
What's next: Apple required all app developers to submit the privacy information by Tuesday. It's unclear when the nutrition labels will begin appearing in Apple's app store.
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WhatsApp: Unpacking WhatsApp’s privacy label in the Apple App Store

Apple recently required that all apps distributed via their App Store display details designed to show people how their data may be used.
Below we unpack the WhatsApp label displayed in Apple’s App Store and provide additional information about data use that is not protected by end-to-end encryption: [...]
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guest · Dec 9, 2020

mood said: ↑

Scoop: WhatsApp goes after Apple over privacy label requirements December 9, 2020
WhatsApp: Unpacking WhatsApp’s privacy label in the Apple App Store
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Update:

Yes, but: The new rules apply equally to all iOS apps, including all Apple‘s built-in apps like Messages. For iOS apps that don’t have dedicated product pages on the App Store, like Messages, they will still have the same privacy information be made available to users on Apple’s website.
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Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect that Apple apps are also required to submit privacy information.
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WhatsApp accuses Apple of app privacy label double-standards [Updated]

Update: Apple has clarified that its own apps will be required to show a privacy label as well, just like third-party software. For apps not pre-installed, that will be shown as part of their App Store listing. Preloaded software, such as iMessage, will have a privacy label available on Apple’s site.
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guest · Dec 10, 2020

How to read Apple's App privacy 'Nutrition Labels' and what they will do for users
December 10, 2020
https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...rition-labels-and-what-they-will-do-for-users

Apple now requires developers to submit certain privacy details so that users can make informed choices. Only, this "nutrition label" kind of detail is not being enforced yet, and it will seemingly always rely on developers being honest.
Although the deadline to submit this information was December 8, Apple has told developers that it won't remove existing apps for not having this information.

Even if Apple does set a cut-off date and remove apps without this privacy information, it is still entirely reliant on developers telling the truth.
That's not to say that developers are untrustworthy. It is to say that any developer intent on being a bad agent is not going to get an attack of the conscience over this.
Hopefully Apple will do spot checks.
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As these labels start to appear on the App Store, though, here's where to see them. Plus what they mean, and how they can help you decide which apps to use. [...]
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guest · Dec 14, 2020

Apple's App 'Privacy Labels' Are Here—and They're a Big Step Forward
It remains unclear how effective the warnings will be, but the attempt alone is a promising development
December 14, 2020
https://www.wired.com/story/apple-app-privacy-labels/

Starting today, Apps in the Mac and iOS App Stores will display mandatory labels that provide a rundown of their privacy policies. Think of it as a sort of "nutrition facts" for apps. It's Apple's most visible move yet to give you easily digestible details about what data every app collects and has access to—and what they do with it.

The idea of developing privacy or security breakdown labels for laypeople isn't new. In the early 2010s, academic researchers had already developed mobile app privacy label prototypes.
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"As it rolls out with real apps and real users it will be interesting to see what works and what doesn’t—whether developers understand how to accurately complete the information, whether they actually tell the truth, and whether consumers understand what this means are all open questions."

In the reality of today's app landscape, it's difficult to find mainstream software that doesn't do at least some linking and tracking. The privacy labels will help drive that point home, but that pervasiveness might also make it hard to find something actionable in the information.
And while providing data for the labels is now mandatory in the iOS and macOS App Stores, it's also the developer's job to provide factual information and revise it over time.

"You’re responsible for keeping your responses accurate and up to date," Apple says in its developer guidelines.
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There are also certain types of data collection that are "optional to disclose," because the data isn't used for tracking or is collected infrequently.
The problem, though, is that the "optional disclosure" category feels like open season for loopholes and workarounds.
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guest · Dec 16, 2020

Craig Federighi hopes competitors will emulate Apple's 'ambitious' privacy labels
December 16, 2020
https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...-will-emulate-apples-ambitious-privacy-labels

Craig Federighi says that Apple's new privacy "nutrition" labels are the start of "something really ambitious," that the company wants its rivals to copy.

Now that Apple's new privacy or "nutrition" labels have appeared on the App Store, the company's Craig Federighi says that the current system is only the beginning.

"[Labels] are the start of something really ambitious," Apple's senior vice president of software engineering told Fast Company.
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Ultimately, he wants the labels to be embraced by users, and to help them make informed choices when picking apps to download.

"We absolutely expect that others in the industry will respond to the heightened expectations and demands of customers and improve privacy— and we think that's great," Federighi continued.
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guest · Jan 5, 2021

Is Google Not Updating its iOS Apps Due to Privacy Labels Requirement?
January 5, 2021
https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/news/google-avoiding-ios-apps-privacy-labels/

As highlighted in an article over at FastCompany, Google has not updated any of its iOS apps in nearly a month, which could potentially be related to Apple’s new App Store requirement for all developers to publish privacy labels for their apps.

Google Drive, YouTube, Google Docs, Google Sheets, YouTube Music, Google Duo, Google Authenticator, and Gboard apps have all not seen a single update since December 7.
It must be pointed out that Apple made it mandatory on December 8 that any new apps or app updates submitted to the App Store would require the developer to fill out the privacy label information for the app it was submitting.
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guest · Jan 5, 2021

mood said: ↑

Is Google Not Updating its iOS Apps Due to Privacy Labels Requirement? January 5, 2021
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Google to add App Store privacy labels to its iOS apps as soon as this week
January 6, 2021
https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/05/g...-labels-to-its-ios-apps-as-soon-as-this-week/

Contrary to reports, Google is not delaying updates to its iOS apps because it doesn’t want to comply with Apple’s recently announced App Store Privacy Labels policy.
TechCrunch confirmed Google is not taking a stand against the labels. It is, in fact, preparing to roll out privacy labels across its sizable iOS app catalog as soon as this week or the next.

TechCrunch looked into the situation with Google’s apps following a story by Fast Company today that speculated that Google’s slowdown on releasing iOS app updates could be because it was not ready to be transparent about the data it collects from its users. The report stated that “not a single one” of Google’s apps had been updated since December 7, 2020 — coincidentally, just one day before Apple’s new privacy label requirements went into effect on the App Store.
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There are a few problems with speculation, however.
While it may seem Google is skirting Apple’s new rules, we must also be careful about reading too much into the update timing.

Of course, none of this is to say that app privacy labels aren’t a concern for Google, given its primary business is advertising.
Apple may have given Google some leeway on the matter, it seems, as it allowed Google’s apps to update after the deadline without submitting the privacy label information. (That probably won’t make happy smaller developers who worked to comply with the deadline, however.)
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Reached for comment, a Google spokesperson confirmed the company has a plan to add privacy labels across its app catalog. They also confirmed the labels are expected to begin rolling out as soon as this week or next week, though an exact date is not yet available.
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guest · Jul 28, 2021

Google: Android apps must provide privacy information by April 2022
July 28, 2021
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...st-provide-privacy-information-by-april-2022/

Google has announced today more details regarding their upcoming Google Play 'Safety section' feature that provides users information about the data collected and used by an Android app.

In May, Google pre-announced upcoming changes to the Google Play Store requiring app developers to share what info their apps collect, how collected data is used, and what privacy/security features the apps utilize.
This information will appear in a new 'Safety section' for each app on Google play starting in the first quarter of 2022, allowing users to see the types of data collected by the app, its privacy policy, and security features before they install it.
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Today, Google also announced additional policy changes that are requiring all app developers to include a privacy policy and that they must also disclose data used by an app's third-party libraries or SDKs.
In addition, Google provides developers an updated timeline for when they can begin submitting this information, when users can start to see the Safety section, and the deadline for developers to provide the information.
[...]
Finally, in April 2022, all apps will be required to have a completed "App Privacy & security," including a privacy policy. If there are unresolved issues with this section, Google Play will reject all app updates until complete.
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