14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has agreed to implement new standards for displaying privacy policies throughout applications that collect user data, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has announced.
Targeting not only Apple, but also Google, Amazon, HP, RIM and Microsoft, “The agreement with the platforms is designed to ensure that mobile apps comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act,” reads the announcement.
Per the terms of the agreement, Apple will be required to “conspicuously post a privacy policy.”
The Mac maker is considered an “operator of commercial web sites and online services, including mobile apps, who collect personally identifiable information about Californians,” as is Google, and the four other companies listed above.
Harris further commented on the agreement, saying “Your personal privacy should not be the cost of using mobile apps, but all too often it is.”
“This agreement strengthens the privacy protections of California consumers and of millions of people around the globe who use mobile apps. By ensuring that mobile apps have privacy policies, we create more transparency and give mobile users more informed control over who accesses their personal information and how it is used,” he continued.
“California has a unique commitment to protecting the privacy of our residents. Our constitution directly guarantees a right to privacy, and we will defend it. Forging this common statement of mobile privacy principles shows the power of collaboration — among government, industry and consumers — to create solutions to problems no one group can tackle alone,” Harris concluded.
The agreement also hopes to “educate” third-party developers about their obligations towards consumer privacy. The key goal is to have consumers instantly become aware of what private information gets collected, how it’s used, and with whom it’s being shared.
Not only that but companies will also be required to supply “tools” that enable end-users to flag “non-compliant apps.”
“In six months, Attorney General Harris will convene the mobile application platforms to assess privacy in the mobile space,” the press release says.