Apple, on 14th December 2020, Monday said that it had begun the initiation of new labels about the privacy practices of apps for users. Users will be able to see these before the apps are downloaded from the App Store.
Apple declared the labels, which pursues to quickly convey information about several categories of data collection. It started requiring developers to provide information for the privacy labels last week, as part of the review process for releasing or updating apps.
The labels will be introduced over a period of time, as developers submit their apps for approval to Apple. And users will see them before downloading or updating an app. Apple will require disclosures of when apps gather data for what is considered as “tracking” of users across unrelated apps or websites. They are a part of an extensive set of changes that Apple unfurled this year to establish more notifications and permission requirements for the data collection on its devices.
Developers will be able to offer explanations for the data collection and they are responsible for the accuracy of the information. But Apple said compliance will be checked during the app review process, random audits, and in response to complaints. The rule was supposed to get on the floor this year, but Apple said it would delay implementation until early 2021. It is to give developers more time to make changes to their apps.
Many digital advertisers said users would likely reject to have their data collected because of the new notification rule. This requirement for new notifications to users before any use of digital advertising for identifying evoked an alarming reaction from companies such as Facebook.