As Mozilla launches Firefox OS and the Firefox Marketplace, we’ve been focused on improving privacy through empowering app developers and users to improve transparency, choice and control, including implementing a tiered permissions model as well as tips for designing apps with privacy in mind. Over the next year, we’ll be rolling out more features and resources designed to make data practices more transparent for users and easier to indicate for developers.
Simultaneous to our own efforts, others have been innovating in the same space to try and push data transparency forward on mobile devices. We’re supportive of projects like these because they help drive the conversation forward and help to make privacy better across services and marketplaces:
- As a part of the US Department of Commerce’s Mobile Application Transparency Process, the Application Developers Alliance has proposed a set of Voluntarily Disclosed Transparency Screens (December 2012 draft) to help app developers surface privacy impacting data practices to their users.
- The MEF is looking at proposing a standard framework, defining best practices and exploring rating systems to help developers and consumers regarding mobile privacy.
- The Privacy and Technology Project at UC Hastings works on initiatives and tools designed to make privacy better for startups and others.
Solutions that empower both developers and consumers are a critical part of making privacy better for users and the web and Mozilla looks forward to continuing our contributions to the growing number of initiatives around this issue.