Apple updated its App Review Guidelines page on Thursday, introducing changes to the handling of personal data sharing and the requirements that must be met before doing so. Noncompliant apps could be removed from the App Store.
The updated language in the rules calls out that personal data shared with third parties must be both clearly disclosed and only with the explicit permission of the user.
The language echoes previous guidelines, but points out that these third parties also include artificial intelligence:
"You must clearly disclose where personal data will be shared with third parties, including with third-party AI, and obtain explicit permission before doing so. Data collected from apps may only be shared with third parties to improve the app or serve advertising (in compliance with the Apple Developer Program License Agreement)," it says.
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Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Most of the world knows AI in the form of chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, but the term extends well beyond these to technologies like machine learning, which learns and improves itself based on data.
Apple is set to release its long-awaited AI-powered Siri soon, which may be powered by a custom version of Google's Gemini underneath.
The small change is a win in a world where privacy often feels more like a concept than a reality, especially as AI technology continues to surge.