Apple is tightening data protection in the App Store. In the future, developers should easily break down in their Apple apps which user data they collect and what they use it for. Two clearly structured tables should help.

Apple wants to help its users to better understand the tracking and thus also the data protection in the App Store. Because if we download an app, with a little effort we can get an overview of which user and device data is being collected and used.

So far, however, it has not been easy for every user. Therefore, with the new iOS 14 operating system, Apple is asking developers to explain to us in detail which data their apps are accessing.

In future, Apple apps will show you which data they collect from you

In a blog post , Apple explains exactly how this should look. Accordingly, developers have to disclose their data collections in two clearly structured tables.

Developers can no longer hide behind cryptic data protection texts. Instead, they have to enter information for data collection in an easily legible manner and ensure that it is always up to date.

The developers should then transmit the information to Apple. However, you are not only obliged to state what data your own code collects.

However, they must also show what information they are collecting through third-party codes that may be embedded. This includes, for example, software development kits from Facebook and Google.

This is what the tables look like

The new regulation applies to Apple apps on the iPhone, iPad and Mac. The information about the data collection should be available to users in the App Store before it is downloaded.

The tables are similar to the nutritional value labels of foods. The first overview clearly shows in various categories which detailed data the respective app collects and passes on.

So, as we can see, the table also tells us whether an app is collecting health and fitness data, financial data, location data, and other information.

The second overview then provides information on how and for what the developers use this data.

Here we also find out whether our data is used for advertising by third parties, advertising by the developer himself, analysis of app usage, personalization of products and more.

Developers must also specify whether an individual user can be traced back from the data and whether tracking takes place – i.e. whether they also use information to create a profile of the user for advertising purposes.

Apple apps: tracking opt-in coming in 2021

What Apple has not yet explained is whether the company will check the information provided individually or only intervene if there are complaints.

Apart from that, the new table system sounds like a very user-friendly change. So Apple actually seems to want to give us more information about what is happening to our data.

And as the company has already announced, full tracking protection for users will come in 2021 . Apple had originally planned to deactivate the preset tracking with iOS 14 in autumn 2020.

But because Facebook and Co. had expressed strong criticism, Apple postponed the change to a later date. As we reported earlier , tracking protection could ultimately transform the digital advertising industry from the ground up.