Apple on Tuesday unveiled the so-called “health passport” apps, saying a health check and building access apps need to be developed by a company with a relationship with public health authorities.
Explained in a post to Apple developer website, the new rules seek to keep user data safe amid an ever-changing coronavirus response.
With the advent of COVID-19 vaccines, the App Store has experienced an influx of “health pass” apps that generate digital certificates for entering premises and accessing personal services, Apple says. These apps rely on test and vaccination records, meaning they pull in and store sensitive user data.
To ensure that users within Apple’s ecosystem are protected, the company is restricting “health pass” apps to developers working with organizations known to public health authorities. are known as manufacturers of testing instruments, laboratories, and healthcare providers. The limitation is also a place to test for reliable capability, Apple says.
Beyond individual developers, the App Store accepts COVID-19 apps installed directly by the government, medical institutions and other credit institutions.
Apps and services that provide digital certificates that use COVID-19 status or vaccine protection see accelerated adoption as the pandemic warnings. For example, the Clear app and the compatible digital kiosk system are used for screening at several airports, sports parks and other US locations.
The new app rule follows Apple’s strict guidelines on coronavirus-related titles. Nearly a year ago, when the pandemic was at an early stage, the company was actively pursuing a policy that rejected apps that had not been developed by well-known outlets. That decision laid the foundation for subsequent steps building into projects such as the Apple-Google Display Information API.