Apple Tightens App Store Rules on Third‑Party AI Data

Apple’s latest App Store Review Guidelines, announced in its recent developer briefing, impose a new layer of scrutiny on how apps interact with third‑party artificial‑intelligence services. The core change is a strict ban on transmitting personal data to external AI engines unless the app clearly discloses the practice and obtains explicit user permission. Developers who previously routed sensitive information through cloud‑based AI providers with minimal consent checks will now face rejection or removal if they fail to meet the updated disclosure and consent requirements. This change underscores Apple’s ongoing effort to balance innovation with user trust.

Under the new rules, any personal data—such as location, contacts, photos, or health metrics—passed to a third‑party AI must be accompanied by a privacy‑policy update that explains what data is shared, why it is needed, and how the AI will process it. Apps must also provide a clear opt‑in mechanism that is separate from any other permissions, ensuring that users can review the request before granting access. Apple’s move comes amid growing scrutiny over AI‑driven applications that harvest data for training models, and it signals a broader push to make AI usage more transparent and user‑controlled across the ecosystem.

Compliance will require developers to audit their data pipelines, revise permission flows, and, where possible, shift processing to Apple’s on‑device frameworks such as Core ML and Create ML. Those who rely heavily on external AI services will need to implement robust consent dialogs and update their App Store metadata to reflect the new disclosure mandates. Failure to comply could result in app removal or removal from future App Store updates. By tightening the gate on data sharing, Apple hopes to curb privacy risks while still enabling developers to innovate with AI, provided they do so responsibly. Developers can also leverage Apple's privacy‑focused APIs like App Tracking Transparency to further align with the guidelines.

Key takeaway: Apple’s new guidelines force developers to secure explicit consent before sending user data to external AI, tightening privacy controls across the App Store.