Tech giant Apple has come under fire for its tight control of the App Store, where developers are required to use its payment system
Tech giant Apple has come under fire for its tight control of the App Store, where developers are required to use its payment system

Apple has urged app developers to include an account deletion feature on applications that allow users to create accounts. The requirement will come into effect early next year.

The company updated its App Store Review Guidelines in June to provide users with greater personal data control. The update requires third-party apps in App Store to include an account deletion feature, it said in a blog post Wednesday.

The requirement will be applicable to all app submissions from Jan. 31, 2022. The tech giant also asked app developers to review any laws that may require them to keep a certain type of information, MacRumors reported.

Developers should also make sure that their apps adhere to the Cupertino giant's policy on handling user privacy. The company reminded developers to clearly tell the customers everything about how they handle user data, such as what information is collected, how they collect it and also about their data retention and deletion policy. The application's product packages should contain accurate app privacy information.

Apple is also making it easier for users to report their concerns and problems regarding third-party apps. Scam hunters confirmed Monday that the "Report a Problem" button has finally returned along with the iOS 15 update.

It now has new and improved features, including the capability to report the presence of scam apps on App Store. Users can find "Report a Scam or Fraud" in the drop-down menu options.

For now, the feature is available only in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. iOS 15 device holders in other regions will soon get to enjoy the feature.

Earlier, Apple users experiencing such issues had to go to a website through the Apps or Games tab in the App store. But there were no clear options to report a scam, The Verge reported.

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Photo: AFP / Chris DELMAS