News: App Stores Subject to New Privacy Policy Standards

Yesterday , the California Attorney Journal’s Office resided by Attorney General Harris announced new Privacy Policy Standards to be followed in the app markets which were happily accepted by the leading App store Owners like Apple , HP , Google , Amazon , Microsoft and RIM.

The new policy standards are set under the COPPA ( California Online Privacy Protection Act ) which states that any software which may require use of personal information of the user has to provide a Privacy Policy which can be viewed in the store itself before the respective software /  App is downloaded. The developers of the apps are required to provide the relevant stuff along with the necessary documents and also the companies of the stores have to provide an easy way to report the devs who violate the mentioned rules.

Attorney General Harris, in August, 2011, convened Amazon, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Research In Motion as the most direct way to improve compliance with California law requiring that mobile apps have privacy policies. The platforms have committed to these principles today and are now working to implement them.

 

“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,” added Attorney General Harris. “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.”