Apple on Thursday rolled out updated App Review Guidelines that now explicitly require developers to disclose and obtain user permission before sharing personal data with third-party AI services.

 

The change arrives ahead of Apple’s planned release of an AI-enhanced version of Siri in 2026. That upgrade will allow Siri to perform actions across apps through voice commands and will reportedly be powered in part by Google’s Gemini technology, according to Bloomberg.

 

At the same time, Apple is tightening oversight to ensure other apps aren’t quietly passing personal data to external AI providers.

 

What stands out in this update isn’t the concept of disclosure—developers were already required to obtain user consent for data sharing—but that Apple has now specifically called out AI companies as entities that must comply. Previously, guideline 5.1.2(i) required apps to avoid using, transmitting, or sharing personal data without permission, aligning Apple with privacy regulations such as the EU’s GDPR and California’s CCPA. Noncompliant apps risk removal from the App Store.

 

The revised rule now includes a new sentence (emphasis added):

 

“You must clearly disclose where personal data will be shared with third parties, including with third-party AI, and obtain explicit permission before doing so.”

 

This update may affect any app that uses AI systems to collect or process user information—whether for personalization, features, or other functionality. It remains unclear how strictly Apple plans to enforce the rule, especially given the broad and sometimes ambiguous definition of “AI,” which can range from large language models to more traditional machine-learning systems.

 

Thursday’s update includes several other guideline changes as well, including new rules supporting Apple’s Mini Apps Program, plus adjustments related to creator apps, loan apps, and more. Apple also added crypto exchanges to the list of services operating in highly regulated industries.