ESRB to allow mobile developers to be privacy certified

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has announced that it will be extending the use of its privacy certification program to mobile developers, to allow their software to be given the thumbs up in terms of personal privacy and data retention.

Some of this will mean ongoing cooperation with the ESRB, including an initial privacy risk assessment of the app being developed, regular ongoing checks to make sure that the app remains a secure environment for use and guidance for the developers on how to make their app comply with parental consent laws.

As MCV points out, the ESRB is taking an active role in creating this new certification procedure, which will become far more beneficial for developers once the new US Child Online Privacy Protection Act comes into effect on 1st July. After that date developers will be held to much higher standards of protecting customer data and personal information.

While the ESRB's scheme will be voluntary, any developers taking part in it will be able to promote themselves as being certified by the ratings board.

Kitguru Says: It will be interesting to see how many companies take the ESRB up on this. It would be nice to see at least some of the more popular apps out there taking a step to show it protects our information.

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