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Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

developer.apple.com

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Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#61

Post by dmitriid »

knightofmars wrote: post #58

"Confirm that any third party with whom an app shares user data (in compliance with these Guidelines)—such as analytics tools, advertising networks and third-party SDKs, as well as any parent, subsidiary or other related entities that will have access to user data—will provide the same or equal protection of user data as stated in the app’s privacy policy and required by these Guidelines." I call to all smart knowing…

This is basically GDPR. You, as the creator of an app or service is the sole entity responsible for people's data. It's on you to make sure to not spill that data to third-party services.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#62

Post by tshaddox »

madars wrote: post #4
gumby wrote: post #2

Wonder if this can be used to unsubscribe from The NY Times?

I heard you can change your address to California, which then gives the option to cancel online (due to state law). It is absolutely ridiculous that NYT will happily take your card info online, but require you to be on hold to speak with their "customer care" to cancel. Maybe it is time to use virtual CC's a la privacy.com.

In California the New York Times still requires you to chat with a customer support person on their website. You still have to wait in queue, then wait for the person (or maybe it's a bot at this point) paste in several attempts at retaining your subscription.

The law needs to be that you can cancel all recurring payments through a standard interface. It's ludicrous that my online banking account doesn't just show me all subscriptions and allow me to cancel all future payments of any of them.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#63

Post by duxup »

jackdeansmith wrote: post #16

Feels to me like public pressure is on Apple to actually justify their argument that their App Store policies are for the benefit of their customers. If that results in more policies like this that really do improve customer experiences, that's not the worst outcome.

I feel like a lot of policies were always there for that reason. I don't consider this anything but just another policy like that.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#65

Post by pilsetnieks »

knightofmars wrote: post #58

"Confirm that any third party with whom an app shares user data (in compliance with these Guidelines)—such as analytics tools, advertising networks and third-party SDKs, as well as any parent, subsidiary or other related entities that will have access to user data—will provide the same or equal protection of user data as stated in the app’s privacy policy and required by these Guidelines." I call to all smart knowing…

It could have been lifted verbatim from the GDPR.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#66

Post by zsmi »

paxys wrote: post #25

Wonder if this applies to Apple itself. There is no way to delete your Apple ID (or other info Apple knows about you) using the device.

That's an interesting corner case. Even if turnabout is fair play I wonder if it's even a good idea. If you have two devices, and you delete your Apple ID from one of them, do you brick the second device? I think there are dragons there.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#67

Post by widowlark »

jb1991 wrote: post #38
gumby wrote: post #2

Wonder if this can be used to unsubscribe from The NY Times?

This raises one notable benefit of going through Apple for all payments -- as a customer, it buffers me from dark billing patterns of any random company. Companies like 37signals don't like it and claim it hampered their relationship with customers, and that might be true in some cases, but overall it seems like a benefit for customers to have a consistency process of buying, refunding, cancelling everything they use…

it buffers you from dark billing patterns of all companies except apple

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#68

Post by Hermel »

anarchogeek wrote: post #27

What about inmutable systems? My app (using scuttlebutt) creates an 'account' but it's located as crypto keys only within the app and apple keychain. So far the apple reviewers refused to believe that it works like. It's open source, they've got the code... but still.... Same is true for anything crypto. The account as it were exists on many devices, but it's not something you as the app creator can manage. I think a…

Blockchain wallets are an interesting case. I would argue that for example an Ethereum wallet that generates an address for you in the Ethereum system is not required to provide a way to delete that account again. Similarly, the Chrome app is not required to allow you to delete your hackernews account even though you created it using the Chrome app. Generally, if an app enables you to create an account in a system controlled by someone else, the account deletion rule shouldn’t be applicable.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#70

Post by staunch »

jmull wrote: post #44
staunch wrote: post #9

The problem is that Apple has absolutely no way to enforce the deletion. An app can say "your account is deleted" but not actually delete any data off their servers. What would really give users the control they deserve is the ability to restrict what data can be sent off the device by an app in the first place. Apple should make it possible to deny internet access to an app entirely, and they should provide an API t…

> Permitting apps to collect private data and have unrestricted internet access What apps are left if this is forbidden? "private data" can mean pretty much any user input. "unrestricted internet access" means pretty much any internet access. We're left with apps that either cannot accept user input or cannot access the internet at all.

A good system would probably have tiered permissions, something like:

1. No internet apps: store data locally on the device only, no upload or download.

2. Partial internet apps: store data locally, and only download data through an Apple proxy service that hides the user's IP address and any identifying info.

3. Full internet apps: store in the cloud, uploaded/downloaded through an Apple proxy that logs/filters everything. Or even stored in Apple's cloud.

4. Unrestricted internet apps: VPNs and web browsers, and whatever else actually needs arbitrary access to the internet.

There's no reason my bluetooth scale app needs #4 (which it has today) when I would much prefer it have #1.

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