This is the turn: why Apple has changed the requirements for application developers

    Last month, Apple posted changes to the guidelines for iOS app developers. They touched, including, applications for parental control and ensure the confidentiality of children . Moreover, part of the new recommendations runs counter to the decisions that Apple made a few months earlier. We are discussing the requirements for applications in the App Store, which will take effect on September 3 this year, and we will understand the reasons - as well as the possible long-lasting consequences - of this situation . Photos - Aziz Acharki - Unsplash




    What has changed - shortly


    In addition to the presentation of the new Mac Pro, Pro Display XDR and iOS 13 in early June, Apple announced some changes in the guidelines for application developers. A short post about all these changes was published in the news section of the Apple Developer portal on June 3.

    One of the innovations that caused a particularly strong reaction from the American media is the ban on the use of “third-party analytical services or advertising” in applications for children (sections 1.3 and 5.1.4 of the guidelines). As stated in clause 5.1.4, “collection and transfer of data to a third party by applications from the“ Children ”category is prohibited.” The requirement is valid for new applications, and existing ones must be brought into compliance by September 3, 2019.

    In addition, the innovations of paragraphs 5.4 and 5.5 are directly related to children. Under the new rules, applications that perform parental control functions can “in limited cases” use Mobile Device Management (MDM) technology and the NEVPNManager API. At the same time, Apple emphasizes that “applications should have useful functionality or entertainment value, regardless of the user's age” - whether it be a child or an adult.

    Why did you decide to change policies - and right now


    In the guidelines, Apple refers primarily to the requirements of American and European lawmakers, namely the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the GDPR. But they note that when creating children's applications, one must take into account the experience of other countries and their requirements for the protection of personal data.

    True, there is reason to believe that COPPA and GDPR alone are not the only reason for the restrictions. Some media outlets directly associate the policy change with the Wall Street Journal's high- profile report , according to which 79 out of 80 apps they tested from the App Store used an average of four tracking systems to collect analytics, display advertisements or marketing goals.

    Journalists separately dwelled on one of the "children's" applications, which saved the name and age of the child, as well as information about his actions in the application, and then transmitted Facebook data. The criticism of the Wall Street Journal turned out to be especially painful - shortly before this, Apple launched an advertising campaign whose slogan was the phrase : “Everything that happens on your iPhone remains on your iPhone.”

    The authors of the material did not agree not so much with the fact of collecting and transmitting data, but with the opacity of the entire system, in which the user does not know what this or that application actually does. Apple in response issued a statement stating that the company does not interfere in the relationship between the developer and the user, but plans to work in the future to improve the security and safety of personal data.

    And the new politicians, apparently, were the result of this work. Nonrandom and exemptions in paragraphs 5.4-5.5. The fact is that in April, Apple imposed a number of restrictionsfor applications that implement parental control functions and using MDM technology. The company then explained the situation by the fact that applications violated the policies of the App Store, since 2017, requiring developers to abandon MDM functionality.


    Photo - Tyler Gardon - Unsplash

    However, the applications were “repressed” relatively recently, after the same function Screen Time appeared in iOS 12. The situation raised questions not only from independent application developers, but also from the US government - it is noteworthy that the post on changing guidelines and lifting the “ban on MDM” was released on the same day as the material New York Times with information that Apple wants to check for violations of US antitrust laws in connection with the situation in the App Store.

    Who else is concerned about protecting children's privacy


    The case with Apple is not an isolated one. Google was in a similar situation a little earlier, which two months ago also released a policy update for apps for children available on Google Play. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was prompted to take this step by the company, according to which the company did not ensure compliance by application developers with the requirements of the COPPA law.

    In addition to Google Play, YouTube was also targeted by the FTC. According to the commission, the service also does not meet the requirements of the already mentioned Law on the protection of children's privacy on the Internet. According toThe Washington Post, the situation with YouTube signals that the Federal Trade Commission wants to seriously strengthen control in this area - it has significantly weakened since COPPA came into force in 1998.

    True, YouTube was not the first service that came to the attention of the FTC. The commission has already fined a number of companies releasing apps for children for a record $ 5.8 million for non-compliance with COPPA.

    Returning to Apple: What Developers Think


    Most critics agree that the company's policy is at least inconsistent, which is confirmed by changes in the rules. The Wall Street Journal goes further and states that if you look for the extreme in the situation of unauthorized use of personal data, then the main blame will lie with Apple, not with the developers.


    Photo - Rita Morais - Unsplash

    By the way, some of them have already spoken out about the new policies. One of the companies that fall under the new requirements was PBS and its PBS Kids division (this channel, for example, broadcast Sesame Street from 1969 to 2016). PBS explainedthat now they will not be able to adequately assess the performance of applications and, as a result, improve their functionality and educational capabilities.

    As noted by the channel’s CEO Paula Kerger, PBS will be forced to remove applications from the App Store, despite the fact that now they are used by millions of children. PBS believes that making such decisions without taking into account the opinions of the developers themselves is unacceptable. “We want to convey the idea that we like working with these platforms [such as the App Store], they give us amazing coverage. Sit down and talk with us, ”Kerger comments on the situation.

    Regarding the update of policies expressed on Hacker News and Apple Developer Forum. Most supported Apple in an effort to protect children from advertising, but some noted that the very wording used in the guideline allows us to interpret the new rules in two ways.

    So, clause 1.3 contains the phrase “Apps in the Kids Category may not include third-party advertising or analytics” (literally, “Applications in the Kids category cannot include third-party analytics and advertising”). It remains unclear what the adjective “third-party” refers to in this case - to advertising and analytical services or only to advertising.

    In the second case, companies can still use their own developments and apply them to directly analyze user behavior.

    One of the commentators on the Reddit thread noted that if the company wanted to give consistent guidance, it would have formulated the requirement differently (Apps in the Kids Category must not include analytics or third-party advertising). And the official wording gives Apple the right to “execute or pardon” developers at its discretion.

    conclusions


    Recent events seem to be forcing a review of the status quo of large IT corporations. As for Apple, there is an increasing opinion that the company should choose the side, and cannot remain the owner of the App Store and at the same time a player in the application market. What results the current policy of the company will lead to be seen in the near future.

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