Privacy Policy for BlackBerry Apps

Welcome. This post mainly answers the question how and why you should add a privacy policy to your BlackBerry app.

• If you want to read a more general overview of privacy policies in mobile apps then you can read that here
• If you want to skip all that and just use our generator to help you make a privacy policy for your BlackBerry app then follow me

Our guides about the states of privacy policies in the various app stores are well visited resource, that’s why here is one more guide on the state of privacy policy on the BlackBerry World.

• You can find a similar privacy policy guide for Android here: Privacy Policy for Android Apps
• You can find a similar privacy policy guide for Windows Phone: Privacy Policy for Windows Phone Apps
• You can find a similar privacy policy guide for iOS here: Privacy Policy for iOS Apps
• You can find a similar privacy policy guide for Firefox OS here: Privacy Policy for Firefox OS Apps

The question I want to answer in this post: let’s assume I want to include a privacy policy into my BlackBerry application: what do I need to do?

In Short

We have a slightly different flow in place for mobile privacy policies than for the web version:

• Use our generator for mobile apps;
• Add all the clauses you need for your app to your privacy policy and then:
  1. Embed it into your app or link to it from the app (read here how to properly add a privacy policy to a mobile app);
  2. Possibly link to it from the app store;
  3. Possibly link to it from your website;
• Be happy.

1) Do I have to include a privacy policy in my BlackBerry app?

• Well, that depends on what the app is doing. But consider the fact, that you can never be wrong including a link or a full page view of your privacy policy. It is however very likely that you are required by law to include a privacy policy into your BlackBerry application. Easy CHECK: Am I collecting/storing/sharing personal information like email, names or sensitive data like payments info or using a third party service that accesses my info?
• You are likely using a third party service in your app that requires you to add a privacy policy to your app. Additionally to a legal requirement it is often an additional prerequisite to use a specific service. Check in your service provider’s terms. A very popular third party service that requires you to post a privacy policy in their TOS is Google Analytics (they also have a mobile solution).

2) Am I required by BlackBerry’s App World to post a privacy policy?

• No: having a privacy policy is not a prerequisite to be listed on BlackBerry’s App World at this time (26th of August 2013)
• BUT Yes a privacy policy is required for the Built for Blackberry designation: on BlackBerry’s App World you may submit your app for something that is called “Built for BlackBerry“. It’s a designation that helps converting your prospects into actual downloads. In the Built for BlackBerry documentation it says “You must have provided a link to your privacy policy information in the vendor portal of BlackBerry World. Required for apps & required for games” (also see this checklist)

3) How do I add/edit my privacy policy on the App Store?

You can add or update the privacy policy in your BlackBerry World membership account. To do so:

1. open your browser and visit https://appworld.blackberry.com/isvportal
2. log in to the “Vendor Portal for BlackBerry World” using a user account with Admin role;
3. select “Manage Account Details“;
4. in the “Vendor Info” tab, new and existing vendors can enter a URL for their (company’s) privacy policy in the Privacy Policy URL field
5. click “Save” to finish the addition of your privacy policy.

How do you add a link in the Vendor Portal when updating apps?

1. upload a new version of your app;
2. you will be asked if something has changed, confirm that fact;
3. you will get the entry forms to add a privacy policy link.

4) An example privacy policy for BlackBerry apps?

A lot of people ask for sample privacy policies for apps. Let’s start with the legal minimum requirements. A good starting point is the California Online Privacy Protection act (CalOPPA), and even better Europe’s minimum requirements since they are more refined.

CalOPPA minimum requirements

Provide info about the personally identifiable information (PII) like:

• a description of the types of PII collected and disclosed by the operator;
• a description of the process by which a consumer can access and request changes to his or her PII, if available;
• a description of the process by which the operator will notify consumers of material changes to the privacy policy; and
• an effective date.

EU Privacy Directives minimum requirements

Provide a readable, understandable and easily accessible privacy policy, which at a minimum informs users about:

• who you are (identity and contact details);
• what precise categories of personal data the app wants to collect and process;
• why the data processing is necessary (for what precise purposes);
• whether data will be disclosed to third parties (not just a generic but a specific description to whom the data will be disclosed);
• what rights users have, in terms of withdrawal of consent and deletion of data.

You can easily google for an example privacy policy for X but chances are you won’t find anything ready-made that fits the bill.

Helpful docs:

• Privacy on the Go
• Article 29 Working Group

Our Approach of Generating a BlackBerry Privacy Policy

So here’s where iubenda’s privacy policy generator will come in very handy:

1. Define the services and categories of data collection your app is making use of.
2. Add the services (and categories of data collection like “access to address book”) you are using to your policy and it will generate the full text privacy policy in a condensed easily scannable fashion as well as an entire document your users can read if they want.
3. You can either link to your policy or embed the text into your app.

Try Our Mobile Privacy Policy Generator