The new agreement will force Apple and the other companies to implement a method of displaying a privacy policy to the user before an app is downloaded. The announcement noted all platforms would include the feature in a consistent place on the “application-download screen.” The news follows a FTC report criticizing privacy issues of mobile apps for children and lawmakers issuing a letter to Apple following privacy concerns over Path’s use of contacts in the iPhone’s address book. The Attorney General plans to meet with the companies in six months to assess the progress of the agreement, and we will wait to hear from Apple on exactly how developers and the App Store will carry out the privacy policies. The press release said a recent study found only approximately 5 percent of all mobile apps have a privacy policy. Attorney General Harris talked about the agreement:
