And in 2018, five companies settled cases with the New York Attorney-General after they allegedly failed to implement proper security procedures in their mobile apps. They can also activate some of the device's functions, such as the camera and microphone, that can be used to collect additional personal data.īecause of the extremely sensitive personal data that a person's mobile device might contain, development of mobile apps is tightly regulated by privacy laws like those listed above.Ĭareless treatment of personal data in a mobile app can have disastrous consequences.Īir Canada, for example, suffered a data breach in which mobile app users' passport numbers were stolen, seemingly due to having implemented a weak password system. Correspondence with others, often of a private and intimate natureĪ device also transmits personal data in order to identify itself and its owner, such as an IMEI number, IP address and, of course, phone number.Īpps can interact with the user's device so as to retrieve and share this information.Login credentials for various user accounts.Contact details of friends and colleagues.

Photos of the device owner and other people.Theoretically, this could include practically anything about us. Our mobile devices are full of personal data. Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ( PIPEDA), which applies to any app offered in Canada.General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR) and ePrivacy Directive (sometimes known as the Cookies Directive), which apply to anyone offering their app in the European Union.

This must be obeyed by anyone hoping to make their app available throughout the United States.

California Online Privacy Protection Act ( CalOPPA).

Personal data is the subject of privacy law.

Technical information such as cookie data and IP address.

This information could lead to identification if it were combined with other information.

Indirectly identifying information, such as a username or email address.

Directly identifying information, such as a name or address.

Personal data (sometimes called 'personal information' or 'personally identifying information') is information that reveals something about and could be used to identify an individual. Let's see how you can develop an app that fulfills the requirements of both Google and the law. How to Create a Privacy Policy for Your Mobile App Google's Rules on Personal and Sensitive Data

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