As part of our efforts to work with national and international organizations in the mobile / wireless eco-system to support programs designed to improve and grow our industry, the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM) is announcing a new program launched by The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT), the App Trust Project. Please read the announcement below to learn more about this new program designed to aid developers in easily meeting privacy requirements, and allowing them to convey a strong message of trust to their consumers which will ultimately result in increased use of their mobile apps.
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The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) today launched the App Privacy Icons – the newest feature of its App Trust Project. These icons are part of a broad campaign to provide developers with resources to demonstrate easy-to-understand transparency about the privacy settings and features of their apps.
In the increasingly competitive world of mobile apps, savvy consumers are making purchasing decisions that include whether and how an app collects or shares information about them. This industry-led measure – an eight-month collaborative effort by developer groups, designers, parents, and policymakers – provides consumers the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. The icons provide simple yet informative transparency into the data collection and sharing practices of mobile apps, so that customers can quickly assess the apps they want to buy.
In addition to continuing the development of the privacy icons, ACT will be developing open-source code for developers to use in their apps and will be leading a campaign to promote these tools through social media, developer events, and advertising.
“Developers need a simple way to communicate to customers about data collection and sharing practices,” said ACT Executive Director Morgan Reed. “The App Privacy Icons help convey that information in an easy-to-read display customized for the small screens of mobile devices. Ultimately, this is about communicating trust and value to customers in a manner that embraces the massive shift underway to smartphones and tablets.”
Related articles
- Mobile privacy concerns spawn the App Trust Project (fiercedeveloper.com)
- Mobile privacy fears spawn App Trust Project (fiercemobilecontent.com)
- Lawmaker pushes mobile privacy legislation (techworld.com.au)
- Mobile privacy concerns spawn the App Trust Project (fiercewireless.com)
- Survey: How Mobile Device Users Protect Their Privacy With Mobile Apps (ivebeenmugged.typepad.com)
- Feds probe mobile app privacy safeguards (computerworld.co.nz)
