How Decisions by Apple and Google obstruct App Privacy

Technology and Regulation (TechReg)

22 Pages Posted: 31 Jan 2023 Last revised: 22 Aug 2023

See all articles by Konrad Kollnig

Konrad Kollnig

Law and Tech Lab, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University

Nigel Shadbolt

University of Oxford - Computing Laboratory

Date Written: January 31, 2023

Abstract

Ample past research highlighted that privacy problems are widespread in mobile apps and can have disproportionate impacts on individuals. However, doing such research, especially through automated methods, remains hard and has become an arms race with those who engage in invasive data practices. This paper analyses how decisions by Apple and Google, the makers of the two primary app ecosystems (iOS and Android), currently hold back (automated) app privacy research and thereby create systemic risks that have previously not been systematically documented. Such an analysis is timely and pertinent since the newly enacted EU Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges Very Large Online Platforms to enable ‘vetted researchers’ to study systemic risks (Article 40) and to put in place reasonable, proportionate and effective mitigation measures against systemic risks (Article 35).

Keywords: app stores, Digital Services Act, privacy, data protection, online platforms, Apple, Google, iOS, Android, apps

Suggested Citation

Kollnig, Konrad and Shadbolt, Nigel, How Decisions by Apple and Google obstruct App Privacy (January 31, 2023). Technology and Regulation (TechReg), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4343640 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4343640

Konrad Kollnig (Contact Author)

Law and Tech Lab, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University ( email )

Bouillonstraat 1–3
Maastricht, 6211 LH
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://kollnig.net/

Nigel Shadbolt

University of Oxford - Computing Laboratory ( email )

Wolfson Building
Parks Road
Oxford, OX1 3QD
United Kingdom

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
428
Abstract Views
1,382
Rank
125,032
PlumX Metrics