A Privacy Policy For Google API Users - PrivacyPolicies.com

Here's how to make sure your Privacy Policy covers everything Google needs you to cover so you can compliantly use its API services. PrivacyPolicies.com Blog APrivacyPolicyForGoogleAPIUsers APrivacyPolicyForGoogleAPIUsers Lastupdatedon01July2022 byPrivacyPolicies.comLegalWritingTeam IfyourapplicationorserviceaccessesGoogle'sAPIs,you'llneedtocomplywithGoogle'srulesonpersonaldata.HavingaclearandaccessiblePrivacyPolicyisoneofthekeypartsofdoingso. Here'showtomakesureyourPrivacyPolicycoverseverythingGoogleneedsyoutocoversoyoucancompliantlyuseitsAPIservices. NeedaPrivacyPolicy?OurPrivacyPolicyGeneratorwillhelpyoucreateacustompolicythatyoucanuseonyourwebsiteandmobileapp.Justfollowthesefeweasysteps: Clickon"StartcreatingyourPrivacyPolicy"onourwebsite. SelecttheplatformswhereyourPrivacyPolicywillbeusedandgotothenextstep. Addinformationaboutyourbusiness:yourwebsiteand/orapp. Selectthecountry: Answerthequestionsfromourwizardrelatingtowhattypeofinformationyoucollectfromyourusers. Enteryouremailaddresswhereyou'dlikeyourPrivacyPolicysentandclick"Generate". Andyou'redone!NowyoucancopyorlinktoyourhostedPrivacyPolicy. 1.APIServices2.ComplianceWithGoogleAPITermsandUserDataPolicy3.MeetingGoogle'sRules3.1.Accuracy3.2.Transparency3.3.RelevantPermissions3.4.DeceptiveUse3.5.Child-DirectedApps3.6.Security3.7.RestrictedScopes4.Conclusion APIServices GoogleAPIServicesisasetoftoolsknownasapplicationprogramminginterfaces.Theseareofficialtechnicalwaysforthird-partyapplicationstoaccessGoogleservicesanddata.Theideaisthatthird-partiescanusetheAPIstoincorporateGoogle'sdataintotheirownservices SomepossibleexamplesincludeaddingacustomizedGooglesearchboxtoawebsite,usingGoogleDrivetoaddcloud-basedworkingtoanapp,andusingGoogleMapstohelpwebsitevisitorsfindtheirnearestoutletofaretailchainandthenplotdirectionsfromhome. ComplianceWithGoogleAPITermsandUserDataPolicy TouseGoogleAPIServicesyoumustagreeto,andfollow,severalsetsofrequirements.TheseincludethegeneralGoogleAPIsTermsofServiceandanyspecifictermsforaccessingindividualGoogleservices. TheyalsoincludetheGoogleAPIServicesUserDataPolicy.ThiscoversthewaythatusingaGoogleAPIcaninvolveaccessingGoogledatarelatingtoaspecificuser,whichhasprivacyimplications. ComplyingwiththeUserDataPolicyismandatory.Ifyoudonotcomply,GooglehastherighttosuspendorrevokeyouraccessnotonlytotheAPIinquestion,buttoallGoogleAPIsandeventoallGoogleproductsandservices.IfyourelyontheAPI,thissuspensionorrevocationcouldmeanyourownproductorserviceisnolongeravailabletothepublic. MeetingGoogle'sRules Forthemostpart,youshouldalreadymeetmanyoralloftherequirementsoftheGoogleAPIServices:UserDataPolicyifyouhaveanestablishedPrivacyPolicy.It'sstillworthreviewingtheGooglerequirementstomakesureyouareindeedfullycompliant.Forexample,someoftheGooglerequirementsmaygobeyondthemeasuresyouneedtotaketocomplywiththeprivacylegislationthataffectsyouroperation. Thepolicyisbrokendownintoseveralthemes,mostofwhicharerelevanttoprivacy.Let'stakealookateachrequirement. Accuracy YoumustaccuratelyconveythreekeypiecesofinformationtobothGoogleandanyspecificGoogleuserswhosedatayouwanttoaccessthroughanAPI: Whoyouare Whatdatayouwanttoaccess Whyyouwanttoaccessthedata Here'sthespecificwordingintheGoogleAPIServicesUserDataPolicy: Thepolicyrequiresthatyouprovidewhateverinformationisneededtobe"clearandaccurate"ratherthanjustdoingthebareminimumtomeetachecklist.Forexample,justgivingthenameofyourapplicationmaynotbeenough:Youshouldmakeclearwhooperatestheapplication. Anotherexampleisthatyoumustlistallthepurposesforwhichyourapplicationwillusethedataratherthanjustthemainone. ThislistfromOverpassisanexampleofdoingthisinadetailedbutclearway: YoualsoneedtoupdateyourPrivacyPolicyifyouchangewhatdatayouaccessorhowyouuseit.Youmustthentelltheaffectedusersandgetfreshconsentbeforeyoucontinueaccessingandusingthedata. Transparency TheUserDataPolicyspecificallyrequiresthatyoupublishaPrivacyPolicycoveringhowyouinteractwithGoogleuserdata.Here'sthespecificwording: NotethatyoumustincludetheURLofyourPrivacyPolicyintheOAuthclientconfiguration,whichisthetechnicalsettingsforhowyourapplicationidentifiesitselftoGoogle'sAPIs. However,thisshouldn'tbetheonlywayyoupromoteandhighlightyourPrivacyPolicy.Insteadyoushoulddisplayitprominentlyinyourapplicationsothatusersaresuretoseeit.Googlestressesthegoalofprovidinginformationaboutyourdatauseinwaysthatare"timelyandshownincontext." TheMicrosoftwebappstoredoesthisbyincludingthePrivacyPolicyamongotherkeyinformationabouteachapp: Again,youmustclearlynotifyusersaboutanychangestowhatdatayoucollectandhowyouuseit.You'llthenneedtogettheusertoconsenttotheupdatedPrivacyPolicy. RelevantPermissions Whenselectingpermissionrequests,youshouldalwaysaskforboththeminimumscopeandtheminimumamountofdatathatisstrictlynecessaryforyourapplication'scurrentneeds. Here'showGoogleexplainsthispoint: Googledoesn'tdirectlyrequireyoutoaddressthisissueinthePrivacyPolicyitself.However,abrieflinenotingthatyouadheretothisprinciplecanhelpreassureusers. ThePrivacyPolicyforVPNserviceTunnelBearaddressesthisinmoredetail,whichmaybebecauseVPNusersareparticularlyconcernedaboutprivacy: DeceptiveUse SomeofthepointsintheGoogleAPIServicesUserDataPolicyareaboutwhatyoudoratherthanwhatyouincludeinyourPrivacyPolicy.Forexample,youcan'taccessdataandthenpassitontoa"thirdpartyconductingsurveillance."Youalsocan'tuseundocumentedGoogleAPIServices(oneswhicharen'tpubliclylistedasavailable). Here'sthespecificwording: However,Googlealsospecificallyrequiresthattheinformationyougivetousers,includingyourPrivacyPolicy,notbemisleading.Thisisabroadprincipleratherthanspecific,limitedguidelines.Thekeyisthat"thereshouldbenosurprisesforGoogleusers." WhenitcomestoyourPrivacyPolicy,Googlenotestwowaystoabidethisprinciple: TellGoogleanditsusersaboutanywaysinwhichyouwillinteractwiththeirdata. TellGoogleanditsuserswhoyouareand(ifdifferent)whomanagesyourapplication. ThisclausefromHop&Upgivesspecificdetailsaboutwhooperatestherelevantapps: Child-DirectedApps TheGoogleAPIServicesUserDataPolicynotesthatyoumustcomplywiththeChildren'sOnlinePrivacyProtectionAct(COPPA): Thislegislationislargelyaboutwhoyouallowtoaccessyourservicesandtherestrictionsyoumustfollowifyourapplicationisaimedatusersagedunder13oryouknowpeopleagedunder13areusingit. ThemainimplicationsofCOPPAforyourPrivacyPolicyarethat: Itmustbedisplayedprominently Itmustdetailthetypesofinformationyoucollect,howyoucollectitandhowyouuseit Itmustdetailanythird-partyaccesstodatayoucollect Itmustbewritteninaclearandsimplemanner ThePrivacyPolicyforSesameStreet'splatformclearlydetailshowitcollectsdata: SesameStreetPrivacyPolicy:InformationWeCollectAutomaticallyclause RememberthatbreachingCOPPAcannotonlymeanviolatingGoogle'sTermsandConditions,butisalsoconsideredan"unfairordeceptivetradepractice"thatcanattractheavyfines. Security Youmustdoeverything"reasonableandappropriate"tostopunauthorizedaccesstoyourapplication.Again,thisdoesn'thavetobecoveredbyyourPrivacyPolicybutmentioningyoudothiscanbereassuringforusers. RestrictedScopes WhenyourapplicationaccessessomeGoogleAPIsinspecificways,knownasRestrictedScopes,therulesaretighter.Atthetimeofwriting,thisaffectsaccesstoGmailthatinvolvesreadingorcreatinganypartofanemailoraccessingsettings. TheadditionalrulesincludelimitationsofwhichtypesofapplicationscanusetheAPI,howtheycanuseit,andhowyouprovetoGooglethatyoursecurityisadequate. ThisisthespecificwordingofwhatusingRestrictedScopesentails: YourPrivacyPolicyshouldalreadyincludetherelevantpointshere,namelywhatdatayouaccessandhowyouuseit.Itmaybeworthmentioninginthepolicythatyoucomplywiththetighterrules.SomebodyusinganapplicationthatcomesunderGoogle'sRestrictedScopesislikelytobeparticularlyconcernedaboutprivacyandsecurity,sothiswillgivethemextrareassurance. Conclusion Let'sbreakdownwhatyouneedtodotomakesureyourPrivacyPolicycomplieswiththeGoogleAPIServicesUserDataPolicy: UnderstandthatyourPrivacyPolicyisonlyonepartofcomplyingwithGoogle'srulesforAPIuse. DevelopandpublishaPrivacyPolicythatclearlyinformsuserswhoyouare,whatdatayoucollectandhowyouuseit.Beasclearanddetailedaspossibleratherthandoingtheminimumtocomply.RememberthattheGooglerulestreatprivacyasabroadprincipleratherthanjustspecifictechnicalities. RemembertoupdateyourPrivacyPolicyifyouchangewhatdatayoucollectorhowyouuseit.InformusersofthechangesandgetfreshconsentbeforeyoucontinuetoaccesstheirdatathroughtheGoogleAPI. ReviewthecontentanddisplayofyourPrivacyPolicyifyourserviceistargetedatusersagedunder13oryouknowthatpeopleagedunder13areusingit.YoumayneedtodisplaythePrivacyPolicymoreprominentlyanduseclearer,simplerlanguage. PrivacyPolicies.comLegalWritingTeam Lastupdatedon01July2022 Legalinformation,legaltemplatesandlegalpoliciesarenotlegaladvice.Pleasereadthedisclaimer. 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