California’s Attorney General has announced an agreement that commits Amazon, Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft and Research In Motion to improving privacy protection for consumers who use internet-connected applications on their smartphones. The six companies have agreed to ensure the apps available on their platforms have a formal privacy policy.
Kamala D Harris, the Attorney General of California, said “Your personal privacy should not be the cost of using mobile apps, but all too often it is. This agreement strengthens the privacy protections of California consumers and of millions of people around the globe who use mobile apps. By ensuring that mobile apps have privacy policies, we create more transparency and give mobile users more informed control over who accesses their personal information and how it is used.”
The new agreement is designed to ensure that mobile apps comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act. It will ensure that consumers are able to review an app’s privacy policy before they download the app and will offer consumers a consistent location for an app’s privacy policy on the download screen.