Tightening the screws on intrusive apps

Shenzhen released the Special Economic Zone Data Regulations on Tuesday which will come into effect on Jan 1, 2022. The first set of comprehensive regulations on data in China attaches equal importance to the protection of personal information and the development of the digital economy.

The regulations prohibit smartphone apps from acquiring undue user authorization, while imposing a fine on those who unduly collect personal information or make watching their advertisements mandatory.

For long, many apps have been tricking users into tapping "yes" for authorization at every step, failing which the user is unable to use the app.

This practice has assumed absurd proportions because, for example, a navigation app tries to collect a user's facial recognition information or a video clip app demands to know a user's location.

No wonder, many users have been complaining that the biggest lie they have ever been told is to select a provision in an app saying: "I have read all the information and I agree".

The way most apps function today defies logic. Providing personal information should not be the price one pays for using an app. For example, it makes sense if a navigation app asks for a user's location, or a payment app seeks the user's banking information, but it is absurd for the two apps to seek both details.

There is not much users can do to resolve this issue. That's why issuing the regulations became necessary. They are expected to play a significant role in protecting users' personal information, especially because they prohibit app developers from giving users just one option－to click "yes"－for whatever authorization they seek.

Hopefully, other cities will learn from Shenzhen's example and issue similar regulations to better protect users' personal information.