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How to Add a Privacy Policy to the Windows Phone Store - Guide for WP Developers

Updated: 30.06.2014

This page answers the question why and how you should add a privacy policy to your Windows phone app and how you can add it to the Windows Phone Store.

For an overview of the legal requirements head back to the main page.

1) Am I required by the Windows Phone Store to post a privacy policy?

For now this is not the case. There is no absolute requirement for a privacy policy to be included for the app to be accepted onto the Windows Phone Marketplace. But it's actually very unlikely that you won't be covered by one of the following requirements below:

From the App certification requirements for the Windows Store

If your app has the technical ability to transmit data, you must maintain a privacy policy. You must provide access to your privacy policy in the Description page of your app, as well as in the app’s settings as displayed in the Windows Settings charm.

From the App Developer Agreement

If your app enables access to and the use of any Internet-based services, or otherwise collects or transmits any user’s personal information, you must maintain a privacy policy. You are responsible for informing customers of your privacy policy (including by submitting that policy to us for display to customers). Your privacy policy must (i) comply with applicable laws and regulations, (ii) inform users of the information collected by your app and how that information is used, stored, secured and disclosed, and (iii) describe the controls that users have over the use and sharing of their information, and how they may access their information. You must also provide access to your privacy policy in the app’s settings as displayed in the Windows settings charm.

From the same App Developer Agreement

The app and your marketing of the app must comply with the laws of each territory or country into which you request distribution of the app. This includes: (i) data protection, privacy and other laws and regulations relating to collection and use of user information by your app (ii) telecommunications laws and (iii) content ratings regulations. If you are required to make any disclosures to consumers prior to sale or download of the app, you must provide those in the app description field. Those may include your full contact information, notice that an app supports in-app purchases, or other disclosures. You must make such notices sufficiently prominent as is required by local law. Your app must not require further export, import or technology control licensing from any government. You must disclose to Microsoft any controlled technology employed, used or supported by your app. You may not use the Windows Store or any services or tools made available for the development of apps for any illegal activity.

From App policies for Windows Phone

The privacy policy of your app must inform users about how location data from the Location Service API is used and disclosed and the controls that users have over the use and sharing of location data. This can be hosted within or directly linked from the app. The privacy policy must be accessible from your app at any time - (2.7.2).

Same App policies I (2.7.4)

If your app publishes or makes available location data obtained from the Location Service API to any other service or other person (including advertising networks), your app must implement a method to obtain opt-in consent. To "implement a method to obtain 'opt-in' consent," the app must:

  • provide your privacy policy, which must be persistently accessible from within the app (and may also be made available in app details by populating the Privacy URL field in Dev Center) and must describe how the location information will be accessed, used or shared;

Same App policies II (2.8)

If your app (a) accesses or uploads a user's Contacts, Photos, Phone number, SMS history, Browsing history or any other data reasonably considered personal in nature, or if your app shares any of the foregoing information with third-party services or individuals, or (b) shares any unique device or user IDs, combined with user information, with third-party services or individuals, the app must implement a method to obtain the user’s "opt-in" consent. To "implement a method to obtain 'opt-in' consent," the app must:

  • provide your privacy policy, which must be persistently accessible from within the app (and may also be made available in app details by populating the Privacy URL field in Dev Center) and must describe how the information will be accessed, used or shared;

3) How do I add/edit my privacy policy on the Windows Phone store?

This section explains how you add your privacy policy to the actual app store page for users or customers to preview the data collection practices before downloading:

You will find the link in the left sidebar below all of the meta data belonging to the app:

Windows Phone Store privacy policy link

Now you're all ready. Let's do it. If you want you can read the original longer post on the iubenda blog.

The goal of this guide is to give you the right tools to make and place your privacy policy correctly in many languages.
Submit a pull request anytime.

Read about where else you should place the privacy policy.

Made by @s2imon · Privacy Policy