According to About.com iPhone/iPod as of January, 2013 there were 775,000 apps available at the iPhone App Store with 225,000 native to the iPad.Which might lead one to think that the world does not need any more Apps.That being the case or not, new Apps are being developed every day, including those for mobile banking, payment options or just plain socializing of playing games. Developers of Apps need to keep in mind that there will frequently be privacy aspects to an App and will find guidance from Canadian privacy commissioners to be useful.
The Offices of the Privacy Commissioners of Canada, British Columbia and Alberta have issued a joint Guideline Document – Seizing Opportunity: Good Privacy Practices for Developing Mobile Apps which addresses key privacy considerations App developers need to keep in mind.
The document provides guidance on the following key issues that need to be kept in mind
- Accountability for privacy issues
- The need for transparency about privacy practices
- Limitations on data collection
- Obtaining meaningful consent
- Timing of notice and consent
The guidance and advice provided in this document is timely. On January 15, 2013 the federal Privacy Commissioner issued a report on her findings into an Investigation into the personal information handling practices of WhatsApp Inc. In that case, the issues were related to security of data and whether WhatsApp was collecting and retaining more personal information than necessary.The Commissioner's Office clearly has the issue of privacy and mobile Apps in its radar. The investigation was not the result of a complaint to the Commissioner's Office. It was initiated by the Commissioner's Office.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
