Design guidelines for mobile app privacy
The GSM Association (GSMA), with the support of mobile operators in Europe and following consultation across the wider mobile ecosystem, has published a set of global Privacy Design Guidelines for Mobile Application Development.
The GSMA is committed to working with stakeholders from across the mobile ecosystem to help establish effective and consistent privacy experiences for mobile users, and to ensure that privacy is a key consideration of all mobile services. These guidelines build upon the Mobile Privacy Principles introduced last year and describe the way in which consumers’ privacy should be respected and protected when they are using mobile applications and services that access, use, or collect their personal information.
Mobile operators in Europe, including Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom – Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telekom Austria Group, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera and Vodafone, are now starting to implement these guidelines for their own operator-branded mobile applications. It is hoped other parties in the mobile ecosystem will follow the lead of mobile operators and consider how they can adopt the guidelines.
The guidelines are aimed at all those in the mobile app or service delivery chain who are responsible for collecting and processing personal information about mobile users, including developers, device makers, OS companies, mobile operators, advertisers and analytic companies.
“Mobile has become an incredibly important and influential tool for people around the world, regardless of age or geography,” said Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA.
“However, with this growing use come significant privacy concerns over the ability of mobile users to exercise choice and control over the use of their personal information. The publication and implementation of the Privacy Design Guidelines for Mobile Application Development will help preserve the trust and confidence of users as they navigate this new world of applications.”
For a copy of the guidelines (including illustrative examples), go here.