Apple on Thursday introduced a new set of app review guidelines for developers, clarifying that apps must disclose and obtain user permission before sharing personal data with third-party AI.
The change comes ahead of the iPhone maker’s plans to introduce its own AI-upgraded version of Siri in 2026.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, with this update, Apple’s digital assistant will give users the ability to perform actions across multiple apps using Siri commands, partially powered by Google’s Gemini technology.
At the same time, Apple is ensuring other apps don’t leak personal data to AI providers or other AI businesses.
What’s interesting about this particular update is not the requirements outlined, but that Apple specifically called out AI companies to comply.
Prior to the revised language, the guidelines, known as Rule 5.1.2(i), included language about obtaining user consent for disclosure and data sharing, and stated that apps could not “use, transmit, or share” anyone’s personal data without their permission. The rule acts as part of Apple’s compliance with data privacy regulations such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s Consumer Privacy Act, giving users more control over how their data is collected and shared. Apps that do not follow our policies may be removed from the App Store.
The newly revised guidelines add the following sentence (emphasis ours):
You must clearly disclose where personal data is shared with third parties, including third-party AI, and obtain explicit permission before doing so.
This change may affect apps that use AI systems to collect or process information about you in order to personalize the app or provide certain functionality. It’s unclear how strictly Apple will enforce this rule, given that the term “AI” can include a variety of technologies, including machine learning as well as LLM.
The updated rules are one of several revisions to the app review guidelines announced Thursday. Other changes focus on support for Apple’s new Mini Apps program, also announced today, and tweaks to rules around creator apps, loan apps, and more.
In addition, cryptocurrency exchanges have also been added to the list of apps offering services in highly regulated areas.
