3 important things to check for in the privacy policy

Hello everyone,

You install many apps in your android devices and iPhones. You hear lot of times where many app developers suffer aligations on their data collection and data usage, collected from your device. It is obvious that you are concerned about the privacy. 

Google and apple had taken steps that all apps which are distributed over play store and App Store must submit their privacy policy. But still there are only few of us who actually go through those privacy policies. Most of the time privacy policies come with legal and lenghty language which is not possible for users to understand it or read through all the clauses of the privacy policy.

So what should we look for in a privacy policy?

Here are only 3 important things you should check in the privacy policy that gives you better idea what information is being collected from your device.

Lets get started,

1. App permissions: You must see which are the permissions required for the app to function properly and which permissions are really not required for the app functionality. You can deny unnecessary permissions but still use the app for its intended functionality.

2. PII: PII means Personally Identifiable Information. What does it mean? It means any information collected from your device, by which app developer can identify specific person in real world and associate all of the data related to it. 

For example, if any app gets your email address (or mobile number or full name or credit/debit card) and then associate your information collected through the app against your record then that app collects PII. Let’s say, you use banking app. In that case banking app relates the information against you and you can be traced as legal entity for any activity within the app. Oppositely, some apps do collect some information however they allocate some unique id to track that info instead of PII. Hence in real world, they won’t be able to trace you.

So you must always check whether app collects PII or not. If they collect then how much is the duration they retain your information and whether they share your information with the third party.

3. Right to delete: In case app collects any PII or Non-PII information, then app have to specify amount of time they retain your information and also provide the mechanism for you to delete the information they own.

Yes, you have right to delete information owned by apps, platforms and service providers. Usually app do provide links to delete information collected from you. Sometimes they give you step by step guide or provide email address for deletion request.

Whenever you are not using the app, don’t just uninstall it but also make sure you delete information collected by the app.

Bonus Tip: