App Store guideline 5.1.3: Health and Health Research

What it means

• (i) Data collected in the health, fitness and medical research setting, including from the Clinical Health Records API, the HealthKit API, Motion and Fitness, the MovementDisorder APIs or health-related human subject research, may not be used or disclosed to third parties for ads, marketing or other use-based data mining. The exceptions are improving health management or health research, and then only with permission. An app may use a person's health or fitness data to give that person a direct benefit, such as a lower insurance premium, if the entity providing the benefit submits the app and no third party receives the data. The specific health data collected from the device must be disclosed.
• (ii) Apps may not put false or inaccurate data into HealthKit or into any other app for medical research or health management, and may not keep personal health details in iCloud.
• (iii) Apps running health-related research on human subjects must get consent from participants, or from a parent or guardian for minors. The consent must cover the nature, purpose and duration of the research; procedures, risks and benefits; confidentiality and handling of data, including any passing on to third parties; a contact for participant questions; and how to withdraw.
• (iv) Apps running health-related research on human subjects must have approval from an independent ethics review board, and must produce proof of that approval when asked.

Related guidelines

• Guideline 5.1: Privacy

Apple's text

This page is an unofficial explanation in our own words. Unofficial explanation, not affiliated with Apple. Apple's text prevails. Apple's wording is on its page, linked below.

• Apple's App Review Guidelines, guideline 5.1.3

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