Mobile App Series: Privacy by Design
App developers who pay 30% commission fee to Apple via In-App Purchasing should take note of an important legal decision recently presented to the Supreme Court for possible review. The Supreme Court’s decision whether to...more
The UK’s new Code of Practice for App Store Operators and App Developers provides companies with privacy-related resources. It also highlights ICO privacy expectations. Participating in the code is done by voluntarily...more
Report on Patient Privacy Volume 23, no 1 (January 2023) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said a data breach at a Medicare subcontractor impacted the personally identifiable information and protected...more
In July 2022, the FTC brought an enforcement action to enjoin Meta’s acquisition of virtual reality app maker Within. The FTC’s approach in that complaint could have implications for Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of...more
On June 30, after a 5-month delay from the originally-scheduled effective date (to give app developers more time to comply), Apple’s new account deletion requirement went into effect. As a result, companies with mobile apps...more
Have you ever downloaded an app outside of the Apple app store? Probably not, because the current setup of app marketplaces like the Apple app store makes that very difficult. That is about to change. On Feb. 3, 2022, the...more
If your company creates health-related apps, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has set out some key considerations: - Make accurate representations. Clearly explain how people’s information will be used and shared and then...more
A recent decision from Judge Edward M. Chen in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California focuses on the sufficiency of allegations of market definition to state a claim for federal antitrust...more
Google Play’s “data safety form” is now live. Developers can now submit the form for early review and feedback. Starting in April 2022, Google will require this label and a privacy policy for all new and existing apps. This...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted a policy statement on Sept. 15, 2021, emphasizing that developers of digital health apps, connected devices and other health products have obligations under the Health Breach...more
The app market is a $100 billion industry, with new apps launching every day. The intersection of technology, creativity, law, and successful consumer engagement requires the consideration of many disparate issues. If you...more
In this third installment of the Antitrust Spotlight on the Epic v. Apple trial, we cover key issues identified by the court during closing arguments and post-trial briefing, as well as the arguments highlighted by the...more
On April 21, 2021, the United States Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights held a hearing to discuss Google and Apple’s role in the mobile app ecosystem and their effect on third-party app...more
In the last two years, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with other agencies in the Chinese government, launched a series of campaigns for the rectification of excessive personal...more
On May 6, Google announced that mobile app developers will be required to publish their privacy policies and make other privacy disclosures in a new “safety” section within Google Play beginning in Q2 2022. Google’s...more
As of this week, Apple’s requirements for apps to follow its AppTrackingTransparency are now in effect. These requirements went hand-in-hand with the iOS 14.5 launch, and impacts how an app can track users and access their...more
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have increasingly relied on digital health apps to manage their personal health and wellness. These apps include traditional telehealth apps through which patients can complete...more
In August, Viacom and a number of other app developers and ad-tech companies reached a settlement with parents who had alleged that the companies were illegally selling children’s personal information for behavioral...more
ANTITRUST AND COMPETITION - The General Court of The EU Squashes the Commission's Inspection Decisions to Raid the French Mass Retail Sector - The European Commission (Commission), if it has reason to suspect a company is...more
When Apple announced that one of the major focuses of iOS 14 would be enhancing user privacy, many in the tech community had questions. How would these changes be rolled out? How would they affect not only the mobile...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently unveiled a new website with updated guidance and resources for mobile health app developers regarding the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and...more
Apple and the Fearsome five are doing it again. The same people who pushed the fallacious “troll bogeyman”; engaged in PTAB proxy warfare, seemingly immunized by the “real party in interest doctrine”; invented the...more
On Tuesday I wrote about how Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney was engaging Apple on at least three battlefronts. I missed a battlefront and I’m here today to rectify that mistake. I mentioned Epic’s groundbreaking and lucrative...more
Tim Sweeney, the Colossus of Cary, is fighting even bigger foes – Apple and Google. The multibillionaire chief executive of Epic Games has opened a multi-front war on the tribute that app developers are forced to pay to reach...more