In the last few days before Apple makes the announcements about new tech we can expect, the company is telling developers that they cannot sell the personal health data of app users to advertisers. The new tech could include wearable technology as well as the iPhone 6 and developers will be able to use Apple’s HealthKit platform, which will gather health info from users. Apple has tightened its privacy rules to protect users and will hopefully ward off any concerns users may have around these issues. In June, Apple announced that a new app which will come standard on devices, called “Health,” will collect information like heart rate, blood pressure, and statistics on exercise and diet. Developers who make apps that use HealthKit will also have access to the information it collects.
According to Apple’s new rules, developers “must not sell an end-user’s health information collected through the HealthKit APIs to advertising platforms, data brokers, or information resellers.” They can, however, share with third parties for medical research if permission from the user is granted. Further, apps “may 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.”
