Use these resources from leading data privacy protection organizations for detailed guidance in developing your privacy conscious application. For an overview of key guidelines, please see FPF’s Brief Survey of Best Practices in Mobile Application Privacy.
1. FPF and CDT Best Practices for Mobile Applications Developers
2. IPC Roadmap for Privacy by Design in Mobile Communications
3. GSMA Model Application Privacy Program
4. W3C Mobile Web Application Best Practices
5. MMA Mobile Application Privacy Policy Framework
6. EFF’s Mobile Bill of Rights
7. FTC Advertising FAQ’s: A Guide for Small Business
8. Microsoft’s Privacy Guidelines for Developing Software Products and Services
9. National Retail Federation’s Mobile Retail Initiative
10. PrivacyChoice Resource Center
11. Mozilla’s Privacy Policy Guidelines
12. CTIA’s Best Practices and Guidelines for Location Based Services
13. Lookout Mobile Security’s Mobile App Advertising Guidelines
14. Federal Trade Commission Staff Report on Mobile Apps for Kids
15. Canadian Regulator’s Seizing Opportunity: Good Privacy Practices for Developing Mobile Apps
16. Privacy Rights Clearnghouse’s HOW TO: Privacy Aware Checklist for Mobile Application Development
17. App Quality Alliance’s Best Practice Guidelines for Mobile Apps
1) FPF and CDT Best Practices for Mobile Application Developers (pdf)
In July 2012, the Future of Privacy Forum and the Center for Democracy & Technology released their Best Practices for Mobile Application Developers. The document provides guidance and best practices for developers invested in preserving their customers’ privacy.
2) IPC Roadmap for Privacy by Design in Mobile Communications (pdf)
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of Ontario is lead by Commissioner Ann Cavoukian, widely known for pioneering the Privacy by Design framework. The IPC’s “Roadmap for Privacy” document provides guidance for building privacy into your app as you develop it.
3) GSMA Privacy Design Guidelines for Mobile Application Development (pdf)
As part of the GSMA’s model application privacy initiative, the Guidelines provide detailed guidance and examples for designing a privacy-conscious mobile application.
4) W3C – Mobile Web Application Best Practices
Developed by the W3C developed by the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group as part of their Mobile Web Initiative. Provides guidelines and technical advice for developers creating Web-standards based applications.
5) MMA’s Mobile Application Privacy Policy Framework(pdf)
The Mobile Marketing Association’s privacy guidelines for app developers outline best practices and provides sample language for privacy policies.
6) EFF’s Mobile Bill of Rights
The Electronic Freedom Frontier’s (EFF) guide of best practices “pulls from documents like EFF’s Bill of Privacy Rights for Social Network Users and the recently released White House white paper ‘Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World‘ to set a baseline for what mobile industry players must do to respect user privacy.”
7) FTC Advertising FAQ’s: A Guide for Small Business
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) answers common advertising questions for small businesses, focusing on truth and deception in advertising and the role of the FTC in enforcement of violations. Applicable to all small businesses, including app developers.
8) Microsoft’s Privacy Guidelines for Developing Software Products and Services
Microsoft’s extensive Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) guidelines for developers help protect customer privacy and address customer expectations as well as global privacy laws.
9) National Retail Federation’s Mobile Retail Initiative
To help retailers adapt to rapidly advancing technology, the National Retail Federation has launched its Mobile Retail Initiative, to offer best practice guidance and other learning opportunities for retailers entering the mobile space. As part of the Initiative, the NSF released Mobile Blueprint, a guide to help retailers plan and implement mobile applications, with focus on customer marketing, payments, and internal operations.
10) PrivacyChoice Resource Center
A collection of privacy resources, tools and code for app developers looking for guidance on how to build an app privacy policy.
11) Mozilla’s Privacy Policy Guidelines
Basic privacy by design guidance for developers creating apps for the Mozilla Marketplace. The privacy guidance is general and brief enough to serve as a good foundation for all app developers.
12) CTIA’s Best Practices and Guidelines for Location Based Services
CTIA – The Wireless Association’s Best Practices and Guidelines (“Guidelines”) are intended to promote and protect user privacy as Location-Based Services are developed and deployed.
13. Lookout Mobile Security’s Mobile App Advertising Guidelines
The Mobile Ad Guidelines cover requirements and best practices around the “transparency and clarity of data collection, individual control over information collected, ad delivery and display behavior, collection and retention of personal or device-specific data, and secure transport of sensitive data.”
14) Federal Trade Commission Staff Report on Mobile Apps for Kids (pdf)
Provides privacy guidance for children-focused apps.
15) Canadian Regulator’s Seizing Opportunity: Good Privacy Practices for Developing Mobile Apps (pdf)
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta and British Columbia released joint best practices guidance when designing and developing mobile apps. Highlights include that the regulators recommend short privacy notice layer using graphics and images.
16) Privacy Rights Clearnghouse’s HOW TO: Privacy Aware Checklist for Mobile Application Development (pdf)
A document identifies and describes several rules and problem-solving approaches to building mobile apps that focus on protecting users’ information privacy.
17) App Quality Alliance’s Best Practice Guidelines for Mobile Apps
Best Practice guidelines that help mobile developers address topics such as users’ rights, location data, and information security and accountability.