Apple is not messing around when it comes to people's privacy.
The tech giant plans to crack down on apps collecting data on users' devices to track them once it signs on iOS 17 and its respective versions for Apple's other gadgets.
Apple first started becoming more privacy-oriented in 2021 with its release of iOS 14.5, which required developers to ask users' permission before tracking them.
Apple For Privacy
Apple is concerned about apps on its App Store with an API that can collect data on users' devices to help in tracking them. The tech giant mentioned in an article on its developer site that APIs like the one previously mentioned have the potential of being misused to access device signals to try to identify the device or user, also known as "fingerprinting."
Fingerprinting apps, according to Engadget, use API calls to retrieve characteristics of an iOS user's smartphone or PC, including the screen resolution, model, and even their OS. It can then take all this information and create a unique "fingerprint" to identify them when they go to other apps o websites.
To avoid the misuse of data collected by these apps, Apple said in the same article that developers must explain why they need such APIs on their apps soon. Those who fail to give a valid reason will see their app rejected from the App Store starting in the spring of 2024.
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In the meantime, however, Apple will only require apps using the APIs in question to submit a valid reason why they need them in the first place starting this fall. Specifically, when it releases iOS 17, tvOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS Sonoma to the public, per 9to5Mac, which first spotted and reported Apple's plan.
Apple said that fingerprinting is now allowed even if a user gave their consent to their app tracking them and that it is setting this new rule to prevent the misuse of APIs that can collect data about users' devices through fingerprinting.
App developers caught using such APIs in their apps must declare their reasons for using them in their app's privacy manifest. Thanks to this new rule, these APIs are now classified as "Required Reason APIs."
App Developers' Response
Despite the focus on privacy Apple has with its new rule, it does present some detrimental effects to app developers. They are understandably concerned about Apple's new rule as it could increase the rate of app rejections in its App Store.
They mentioned Apple's stance with the UserDefault API, which now falls under the new Required Reason APIs category due to it storing user preferences for an app.
Since the API can store user preferences for an app, many app developers use it for the apps they develop and maintain. However, because of the new rule, most, if not all, of them will disappear from the App Store in 2024 because they don't explain why they're using UserDefault as of press time.
Thankfully, Apple will let developers appeal a rejection and submit a request to approve a situation that is not covered in the current guidelines.
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