Google appears to be resuming updates for its iOS apps after a break for the better part of two months, possibly due to Apple’s new privacy labels.
Google It appears to be resuming its iOS app updates after an unusually long hiatus since early December for the vast majority. While it was not required to provide updates during that time, the company generally does so for its iOS applications on a regular basis and the gap in procedures was not reflected in the lack of updates for its Android applications, which have continued. The notable hiatus has led some to speculate that Apple’s recently introduced privacy labels that require developers to declare what data their apps can track may have been at the root of the matter.
With the exception of Google Slides updates on December 14 and Socratic by Google on December 14, according to TechCrunch, which reports that they were implemented without privacy labels, it is understood that the latest updates came out on December 7 before a hiatus until January 27 and 28 when 9To5Google reports that a “trio of smaller Google apps” they were updated. It has been suggested that December 7 is significant due to the introduction of its privacy labels by Apple on December 8.
Now, 9To5Google saysThe YouTube app for iOS also received its first update since early December, the first from Google. “important” applications for which that is the case. Has been Noticed by Apple terminalHowever, Google had added privacy information to YouTube’s list separately about two weeks ago. However, that still represents a lead time of about two months since Apple introduced the requirement and Google added the information for YouTube. As The Guardian Points, Google has over 80 apps on the iOS App Store and some of these this week started showing ‘outdated’ erroneous alerts likely implemented by Google as an automated measure to encourage user updates, although it has classified them as a “bug.”
The release cycle of Google’s iOS apps before and after Apple requests to reveal privacy labels.
This pattern is probably just a coincidence. We all know that “transparency forms the basis of [their] commitment to users “… pic.twitter.com/UgJjAhWfkm
– Thomasbcn (@Thomasbcn) February 2, 2021
Google iOS Apps: What’s the Story?
Google is said to have TechCrunch secured that the pause in iOS app updates had nothing to do with Apple’s privacy labels and that a break during the holidays is perfectly normal, which is true, but usually not for that long. Google itself has said that the in fact, privacy labels are being implemented. However, those communications were all in early January, and while, as you referenced Apple Terminal, some tags were added, most are yet to appear.
None of this suggests that anything adverse is happening or that Google has something to hide, although of course it can. It’s mostly a curiosity that has run into some issues and perhaps caused some confusion for iOS users who received the ‘outdated’ alerts. However, when the various facts and reports are lined up, it seems more and more that Google has been putting off its updates to avoid adding privacy labels. This would suggest, at the very least, that you are taking your time to review what data each of your apps collects, perhaps taking into account Facebook’s questionable PR approach to the problem, and, perhaps, if that’s really necessary. in the light of transparency. If that’s the case, then you can see that Apple’s privacy labels are already doing some of their job.
Sources: 9To5Google, Apple terminal, The Guardian, TechCrunch, Google
Reference-screenrant.com
