Facebook Requiring Developers To Include Privacy Policies In Apps
by Tommy Ly
June 22, 2012
In a statement released from California Attorney General, Kamala Harris, earlier today, Facebook has become the seventh company to sign the Joint Statement of Principles to enhance privacy protections for users who use online applications on smartphones, tables, and other electronic devices, according to CNET.
Last year, Attorney General Harris began working with Amazon, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Research in Motion in hopes of getting "emerging online technologies, such as mobile apps" to comply with California’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The Act requires commercial Web sites, online services, and mobile apps that collect personally identifiable information about consumers to conspicuously post a privacy policy that details what types of data will be collected, how it will be used, and how users can view and edit their stored data.
A letter from the Attorney General's office to Facebook said:
We are very pleased that Facebook has incorporated the Principles into the design of the App Center and that Facebook requires, as a condition of participating in the App Center, that developers submit a link to a privacy policy. We are also pleased to see that Facebook is prominently displaying the link to an app’s privacy policy in the App Center, and is implementing a means to report and remediate privacy issues.Facebook's App Center, which launched earlier this month, was built using the principles of the Attorney General's guidelines, according to Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, Erin M. Egan. As creepy as I think Facebook is, it's great to see them taking steps towards improving the privacy of its users. Ironic? Maybe. With recent privacy scares and skepticism from Path, LinkedIn, and Instagram, it's probably safe to say that there are countless other apps that access our information without us knowing. Other than Internet abstinence and providing false information, what do you think are the best steps to take to protect your private information in the digital world? Source: State of California Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General Via: CNET
