Mobile Marketing Association Releases Mobile App Privacy Guidelines

As companies work this year towards creating privacy policies that are clear and comprehensible in the mobile environment, they may find the proposed "Mobile Application Privacy Policy Framework" from the Mobile Marketing Association helpful. The framework recommends content that mirrors what many already have in their privacy policies: (1) what information is collected by the application; (2) if geo-location information is obtained; (3) if third parties have access to information; (4) if information is collected automatically, and/or used for advertising purposes; and (5) what opt-out choices the consumer has. The framework includes proposed wording that could be used in a mobile privacy policy, however the language is long and if followed could make it difficult for a company to have it easily readable on a small screen.

TIP: When developing a privacy policy for the mobile environment, think about how a user will be able to easily and clearly view all of the disclosures in the document. Special formatting may be needed. Also think about disclosures that are specific to the mobile environment, which may not currently be included in your company's standard privacy policy. This includes geo-location tracking.