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Nutrition labels in the App Store – how is Apple’s privacy policy changing?

30.06.2023

The fact that Apple is a company that moves Developer point to the future is undeniable, and this is not only about technical innovations, but also about the attitude towards the protection of users’ personal data. Ensuring privacy is one of the TOP tasks of the American brand, and this should be taken into account by everyone who intends to earn money as an Apple Developer. If you do not initially navigate this issue, then it is unlikely that you will be able to earn money by publishing software in the official store.

In fairness, we note that holders of the status of Google and Huawei Developer also need to adhere to many rules when creating mobile applications. But it was Apple that took the protection of personal information to a new level, and in this review we will describe the key points that relate to nutritional labels. They were introduced at the beginning of 2023, so not all programmers managed to figure out the purpose of shortcuts and the features of their use.

What are nutrition labels?

Having pressed the create button to create an Apple Developer Account, developers are not even aware of the number of nuances that they will have to deal with when creating and publishing software. Using AppMySite to make a utility that will be of interest to the target audience is not difficult, it is much more difficult to understand how to ensure the required degree of transparency in working with data.

Owners of devices with iOS 14 can see before downloading applications not only who the Developer is, how much the software weighs, but also read the descriptions, but also read the nutrition labels. They are special labels that indicate how the data received from users is stored, collected and exchanged. Anyone who wants to create Apps and publish them as a Developer must demonstrate the specifics of their work with sensitive information, otherwise the build will not be accepted. This approach allows the end user to have a complete picture of how their data is being used before installing utilities.

Now, without exception, all mobile applications that are placed by Apple Account Developer owners in the App Store have three labels:

Tracking data. Here is a list of information for monitoring movements in other utilities and sites.
User related data. This section contains information that is directly related to the account and the person (email, phone number, phone ID, etc.).
Data not associated with the user. From this label, you can understand what information will be used by the utility after anonymizing the collected data.

What changes should every Apple Developer be ready for?

Label integration increases and complicates the process of developing and publishing digital products, but it helps to avoid complaints from users who are initially informed about the features of working with their data during download and installation.

In order to successfully add to the store, programmers will not only have to create an Apple Developer Account, pay for a subscription, develop and test software, and then upload a build, but also answer questions about the use of confidential information. Based on the responses received, the system will generate shortcuts to applications. The main thing to say is:

volume of processed and stored information;
types of data used;
the purpose of obtaining information about users.

What can an iOS Developer do to fulfill all the requirements?

It would seem that what’s wrong with informing the target audience about the methods of processing personal data? Especially if this improves the functionality of the application or sets up the display of suitable products/services. But the fact is that now most gadget owners are very critical of the collection of personal information. And there is a high chance that after reading the nutritional labels, they simply won’t want to install the app, which means they won’t be able to succeed with monetization.

How to be in such a situation? There are two ways:

Conduct a large-scale processing of the digital product, minimizing the amount of data collected. The process is not easy and long, but it gives the best effect in the long run, allowing you to form trusting relationships with the target audience.
Tell users in detail how and why you collect personal information, first honestly answering Apple’s questions.

Some may find it easier to sign up as a Google Developer and create apps for Android devices than to delve into the intricacies of using nutritional labels. To some extent this is true, but then you will lose the opportunity to sell your product to a huge number of users. Difficulties can arise at any stage when working with Apple, but there are always ways to resolve the situation. A vivid example is the problem of long registration in the Developer Program, which Nova.Shop helps to solve, where ready-made accounts are sold.