After a crucial address at its annual developer conference earlier this week, Apple has finally updated its guidelines concerning the app store applications that cater to kids. The Tech Giant has issued a warning to developers to not incorporate third-party trackers in their apps oriented towards kids or else, it will have to take down those apps.
Earlier, the restriction only applied to behavioral advertising tracking but thanks to the updated guidelines, Applications belonging to the Kids category are now not allowed to incorporate third-party advertising as well.
Not only that, but the Tech Giant also refrains apps in the Kids category from featuring in-app purchasing and redirecting (to a different site or elsewhere) links.
The update comes after Apple’s marketing campaign, “what happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone” was deemed deceptive by many. This harsh feedback was due to the fact that most of the times, apps contain tracking code that is used for gathering device information (location included) and this information then gets sent to advertising companies, so the user can be targeted with the appropriate ads.
Not too long ago, the Washington Post spotted a whopping amount of app trackers (around 5,400) uploading data from an iPhone, even when the device wasn’t being used. What’s even more concerning is the fact that all of these findings are of a single week!
According to a recent report, multiple apps make use of a “session replay” technology that enables them to record a user’s screen while the app is being used. This is a clear violation of Apple’s rules and apps designed by Expedia, Hotels.com and Hollister were found making use of it, due to which Apple had to send these developers a warning to remove the recording software.
Apple updated its guidelines shortly after Google devised a new set of policies concerning kids’ applications available on Google Play. Federal Trade Commission can be credited for bringing up company’s lack of focus towards taking care of Federal children’s privacy laws. Due to the filed complaints, action had to be taken promptly.
There’s a hope now that with Apple’s updated guidelines, at least the kids on the platform are safe from the tracking and advertising shenanigans.
Read next: Apple Fires Back at Google for Criticizing Over Privacy Concerns
Earlier, the restriction only applied to behavioral advertising tracking but thanks to the updated guidelines, Applications belonging to the Kids category are now not allowed to incorporate third-party advertising as well.
Not only that, but the Tech Giant also refrains apps in the Kids category from featuring in-app purchasing and redirecting (to a different site or elsewhere) links.
The update comes after Apple’s marketing campaign, “what happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone” was deemed deceptive by many. This harsh feedback was due to the fact that most of the times, apps contain tracking code that is used for gathering device information (location included) and this information then gets sent to advertising companies, so the user can be targeted with the appropriate ads.
Not too long ago, the Washington Post spotted a whopping amount of app trackers (around 5,400) uploading data from an iPhone, even when the device wasn’t being used. What’s even more concerning is the fact that all of these findings are of a single week!
According to a recent report, multiple apps make use of a “session replay” technology that enables them to record a user’s screen while the app is being used. This is a clear violation of Apple’s rules and apps designed by Expedia, Hotels.com and Hollister were found making use of it, due to which Apple had to send these developers a warning to remove the recording software.
Apple updated its guidelines shortly after Google devised a new set of policies concerning kids’ applications available on Google Play. Federal Trade Commission can be credited for bringing up company’s lack of focus towards taking care of Federal children’s privacy laws. Due to the filed complaints, action had to be taken promptly.
There’s a hope now that with Apple’s updated guidelines, at least the kids on the platform are safe from the tracking and advertising shenanigans.
Read next: Apple Fires Back at Google for Criticizing Over Privacy Concerns
