Sunday, December 9, 2012

Mobile apps & privacy rules


Many privacy watchdogs have created a set of guidelines to help mobile developers create privacy-friendly Mobile apps. And they warn that failing to be transparent about any information collected could see developers running afoul of both the law and their potential customers.

Privacy laws apply to mobile app developers irrespective of wherever the Mobile apps company is based. However, it is a challenge to ensure everyone in the growing mobile app industry knows that the rules apply to them. We were concerned that apps often seem to have nothing to do with local laws on the use of personal information. Sometimes they’re not aware. Sometimes they don’t care and they’re not going out of their way to find out.

Any Mobile apps developer that sells an app must comply with the same privacy legislation as any other business. That means developers are responsible for ensuring any information they collect from users is relevant to their product and is securely stored. Users must be fully informed and must consent to the type of information that will be collected and what will be done with it.

Mobile apps Developers should have a detailed privacy policy and ensure any other companies they work with are following the same rules. Users should know what will happen to their data before they download and use an app, and developers should consider building privacy notifications into the look and feel of an app, such as through graphics and sounds.

It is not necessary that Privacy WatchDogs will be watching to ensure app developers comply with the privacy laws. Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with how their personal data is used online, and users who feel their privacy is violated can spell trouble for Mobile apps developers.

In online world, bad news travels fast, and there’s always the privacy-conscious people who can spread the word if they don’t think an app is respectful of their privacy. In spite of urban myths to the contrary, users do not want to give away demographic information or where their location is to get apps for free.

Federal and provincial privacy commissioners have the power to enforce privacy laws. They can launch investigations and order companies to shape up. If they don’t comply, the commissioners can then ask the courts to step in. Recently, an investigation into Facebook’s privacy policies ordered the American social networking giant to make changes. Facebook responded by tightening its privacy policies.

It  becomes more difficult to enforce a country’s laws if an app developer is located in another country, which has far less restrictive privacy laws. The difficulty is enforcing those laws and having the long arm across the border. The first step in enforcing the law is to let application developers know what their obligations are when operating in a country.

On one hand, the user is demanding an augmented reality experience and a catered experience to their surroundings — while at the same time they don’t want to give up their private information. It is easy to comply with privacy laws once a developer knows what it’s in them. However, it’s a challenge ensuring apps respect different jurisdictions’ privacy laws. This can be addressed by determining where a user is located and then handling data differently depending on that location.


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