Companies are now starting to place emphasis on users’ privacy which comes as a big boost to those who frequently use apps or the Internet.
According to a press release released by the California Department of Justice, an agreement has been reached amongst industry leaders to strengthen user-privacy and transparency policies for mobile applications.
Companies that signed the agreement are Apple, Google, HP, Amazon, Microsoft and RIM. They are committing to follow “privacy principles designed to bring the industry in line with a California law requiring mobile apps that collect personal information to have a privacy policy.” The agreement extends to app developers of the companies involved.
Under the agreement, individuals will have the opportunity to review an app’s privacy policy before downloading it rather than after. Mobile platforms are also required to inform their developers about their privacy responsibility to their consumers.
This development comes after a series of privacy and security problems arise on multiple platforms. Just recently, the iOS version of the app Path was under scrutiny after the app uploaded and stored users address book information without the owner’s consent. The Android version of the app was also hit after malware breaches have been found.
Image source: smartphoneforums.com
