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Apple Axes Apps Sharing Location Data With Third Parties

Cupertino seems to be more strictly enforcing existing App Store rules ahead of General Data Protection Regulation, which takes effect on May 25.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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If your iOS app is sending location data to third parties, you better make sure you're playing by Apple's rules and getting users' explicit consent. If not, Cupertino may say sayonara to your app.

As was first reported by 9to5Mac, Apple seems to be more strictly enforcing existing App Store rules around app data collection, storage, use, and sharing ahead of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implementation, which takes effect on May 25. As part of the crackdown, the company has been giving the boot to apps that violate sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 of its App Store Review Guidelines.

"Upon re-evaluation, we found that your app is not in compliance," the company wrote in an email to an affected developer, according to a post on Twitter. "The app transits user location data to third parties without explicit consent from the user and for unapproved purposes."

Apple is advising affected developers to remove any violating "code, frameworks, or SDKs" and resubmit the app for review. "Once a compliant version has been submitted and approved, your app will be returned for sale on the App Store," Apple wrote.

Section 5.1.2 states that developers "may not use or transmit someone's personal data without first obtaining their permission and providing access to information about how and where the data will be used." It goes on to say that "data collected from apps may not be used or shared with third parties for purposes unrelated to improving the user experience or software/hardware performance connected to the app's functionality, or to serve advertising in compliance with the Apple Developer Program License Agreement."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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