Apple has altered its official App Store Review Guidelines for iOS developers, which covers consent issues regarding the newly launched ResearchKit platform, changes to music or video streaming, and recurring payments under Apple Pay.
For the ResearchKit, an open-source platform targeted towards medical researchers, the company is asking developers provide critical information up front prior to taking the consent of parents, participants or guardians.
Apple said: "Apps conducting health-related human subject research must obtain consent from participants or, in the case of minors, their parent or guardian."
"Such consent must include the (a) nature, purpose, and duration of the research; (b) procedures, risks, and benefits to the participant; (c) information about confidentiality and handling of data (including any sharing with third parties); (d) a point of contact for participant questions; and (e) the withdrawal process."
For Apple Pay, developers will have to ensure handling over of all material purchase information prior to sale of any good.
It also includes: "Apps using Apple Pay to offer recurring payments must, at a minimum, disclose the length of the renewal term and the fact that it will continue until canceled, what will be provided during each period, the charges that will be billed to the customer, and how to cancel."
The company will also ban apps that download music or video from third-party sources without their authorisation like YouTube, SoundCloud, and Vimeo.
