Distributor Policy — Google Play & Apple App Store
App-store policies are contractual requirements: violating them can get an app rejected or removed, independent of statutory law. They matter for any app that uses LumiBase as a backend and ships on these stores.
⚠️ Not legal advice, and store policies change frequently. Always check the current official guidelines. Dates below are marked
[Unverified]where I could not confirm them against a primary source.
1. Apple App Store
1.1 Account deletion — Guideline 5.1.1(v)
Apps that support account creation must also let users initiate account
deletion from within the app. Merely deactivating or letting users contact support
is not sufficient; the deletion path must be discoverable in-app. [Unverified]
This requirement has been enforced since around 30 June 2022.
[Inference] For a LumiBase-backed app, this means exposing a backend endpoint that
performs full account + personal-data deletion (a current gap — see
gap-analysis.md).
1.2 Privacy Nutrition Labels
App Store product pages must display privacy "nutrition labels" declaring the
data types collected, whether they are linked to the user, and whether used for
tracking. The disclosure must match actual app behavior. [Unverified] Required
since December 2020.
1.3 App Tracking Transparency (ATT)
Before tracking users across other companies' apps and websites (using IDFA or
similar), the app must obtain permission via the ATT prompt. [Unverified]
Enforced since iOS 14.5 (2021).
1.4 Sign in with Apple
[Inference] If an app offers third-party/social login (e.g., Google/Facebook
sign-in) as the only/primary option, it generally must also offer Sign in with
Apple. Exceptions exist (e.g., apps using only your own account system). Verify
current scope.
1.5 Privacy policy
A link to a privacy policy is required in the app metadata and, typically, within the app.
2. Google Play
2.1 Account & data deletion
Apps that allow account creation must offer users a way to request deletion of
their account and associated data, and must provide this both in-app and via a
web URL that can be reached without re-installing the app. [Unverified] The
account-deletion data-safety requirements were rolled out across 2023–2024;
verify the current deadline and exact form.
2.2 Data safety section
The Play Console Data safety form requires declaring what data the app collects/shares, the purposes, security practices, and whether data can be deleted on request. The declaration must be accurate and consistent with the privacy policy.
2.3 User Data policy & permissions
Google Play's User Data policy requires transparent collection/use, a privacy policy, requesting only necessary permissions, and prominent disclosure + consent for sensitive data access.
3. Common denominator for a LumiBase-backed product
| Store requirement | Backend capability needed | LumiBase status |
|---|---|---|
| In-app account deletion | Full account + data erasure endpoint | ❌ (gap) |
| Web URL for data deletion (Google) | Public, authenticated deletion request flow | ❌ (gap) |
| Accurate data-safety / privacy labels | Inventory of what's collected & shared | ~ (needs data map) |
| Privacy policy link | Operator-provided | n/a (operator) |
| Tracking consent (ATT) | Respect tracking choice; don't track without consent | ~ |
See gap-analysis.md and implementation-checklist.md for the backend work implied by these store policies.