Apple bans app developers from selling on personal health data to advertisers
Apple has beefed up its privacy rules in relation to the burgeoning health app sector, ahead of the rumoured 9 September launch of the iPhone 6 and ‘iWatch’, by banning developers from selling on personal health data to advertisers.
The move clears the way for Apple to market a wearable watch which is expected to place health monitoring at its heart using the Healthkit platform.
It follows moves to introduce a standardised Health app which will monitor blood pressure, heart rate, diet and exercise and is clearly designed to pre-empt consumer concern at where this information may end up.
Whilst developers will be permitted to collect data from this platform they will be unable to sell it on for commercial gain to ‘advertising platforms, data brokers or information resellers.’
They will be permitted to pass it on to third parties for ‘medical research purposes’ however but only with the individuals consent.
The new instructions to developers read: “Your application must not access the HealthKit APIs unless it is primarily designed to provide health and/or fitness services, and this usage is clearly evident in your marketing text and user interface.
"You and your application may not use the HealthKit APIs, or any information obtained through the HealthKit APIs, for any purpose other than providing health and/or fitness services in connection with your application (eg not for serving advertising).”