A consortium of 27 international consumer authorities led by the Netherlands and Norway want Apple and Google to make changes to their app stores, so that people can more easily see how their personal data is being used. The Dutch regulator ACM said this was the first time so many consumer authorities have come together in this way. The authority added that should Apple and Google fail to make the requested adjustments, the individual authorities would impose sanctions.
The call on Apple and Google comes after a 2018 study from the Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), coordinated by the Consumer Authority of Norway. The research showed how hard it was for people to get information about how their personal data would be used; the information was often hard to find, and many clicks away from where they would actually download the apps.
The Norwegian authority said that if the app is designed to profit on personal data, then that information should clearly be up front, so that users can make a proper decision and see if they want to use the app or not. And this especially when apps are free, as that means they are financed through the commercial use of that personal data.
