Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

There's Still No Sign of Privacy Labels for Most Google iOS Apps

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,142
38,914


As of December 8, Apple has been requiring developers submitting new apps and app updates to provide privacy label information that outlines the data that each app collects from users when it is installed.

appstoreprivacy-feature.jpg

Many app developers, such as Facebook, have complied and now include the privacy labels alongside their apps, but there's one notable outlier -- Google.

Google has not updated its major apps like Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome, and YouTube since December 7 or before, and most Google apps have to date have not been updated with the Privacy Label feature.

The Google Translate, Google Authenticator, Motion Stills, Google Play Movies, and Google Classroom apps do include privacy labels even though they have not been updated recently, but Google's search app, Google Maps, Chrome, Waze, YouTube, Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Home, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Assistant, Google Sheets, Google Calendar, Google Slides, Google One, Google Earth, YouTube Music, Hangouts, Google Tasks, Google Meet, Google Pay, PhotoScan, Google Voice, Google News, Gboard, Google Podcasts, and more do not display the information.

On January 5, Google told TechCrunch that the data would be added to its iOS apps "this week or the next week," but both this week and the next week have come and gone with no update. It has now been well over a month since Google last updated its apps.

google-apps-collage.jpg

When it said that an update was coming soon, Google gave no reason for the delay, and still has not offered up an explanation for the lengthy period of time between app updates. Google typically pushes updates much more frequently across its catalog of apps, and its Android apps have continued to be updated regularly.

There has been speculation that Google is hesitant to provide the privacy label data because of the negative feedback that other companies like Facebook have received, but there's still no confirmed explanation.


Apple implemented App Privacy information in iOS 14.3 to provide customers with upfront details about what data an app collects from them so they can make an informed choice when opting to install an app. App developers are required to self-report privacy information in the App Store, and developers must identify all data collection and use cases.

Article Link: There's Still No Sign of Privacy Labels for Most Google iOS Apps
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/20/google-ios-apps-still-no-privacy-labels/
Last edited:
Of course they say there is no connection to the privacy labels and their slow updates, but their update history doesn't agree with that statement. Probably just adding as much time between nutrition label launch and their update hoping it will be ignored.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Hammerd, 0924487, Spock1234 and 10 others
They haven't updated any of their apps for iOS in quite a while, I would like to be a fly on the wall when they discuss the underlying issues.
 
  • Like
Reactions: midkay
dontwalkhand said:
The only Google service I really use is YouTube. Sucks that it has to be owned by Google, but too much content to just forgo.
Click to expand...
It will be interesting to watch the Rumble's anti-trust lawsuit against Google for using its functional monopoly (I realize they are not a true monopoly but close enough) status as a search engine to promote YouTube at the expense of YouTube's competitors. It is possible (although I am not holding my breath) that Google could be ordered to stop promoting YouTube or possibly even to divest itself of YouTube.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back