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StateMaps

How we collect and present app privacy data

Every app page is built from two public Apple sources. Here is exactly what we collect, how we process it, and the limits you should keep in mind.

Sources

  • App records — name, developer, bundle ID, category, version, release dates, size, age rating and languages — come from Apple's public iTunes Search API (US storefront).
  • Privacy labels come from the App Privacy section of each app's public App Store page, exactly as the developer submitted them.

Collection ran from 2026-11-01 to 2026-11-01 using 28 privacy-relevant searches such as “photo vault”, “private photos”, “password manager”, “authenticator”. Each record stores its retrieval time and a SHA-256 hash of the source response, so any figure can be traced back.

What is in the database

4,500 distinct iPhone apps across 9 App Store categories and 28 topics. 4,289 have a privacy label; 211 show “No Details Provided”, which we keep distinct from “Data Not Collected”.

The selection is the first complete, distinct records returned for each search. It is not a ranking, not a measure of popularity and not a security assessment.

How pages are generated

  • Exposure level follows the label's own structure: any “Data Used to Track You” → Tracks you; otherwise any “Data Linked to You” → Linked; otherwise “Not linked”; or “Collects nothing”.
  • Explanations of each data type paraphrase Apple's published definitions. iPhone setting paths reflect iOS 18.
  • Comparisons are computed from the same snapshot: for example, the share of password managers that declare tracking.
  • Variant pages exist only where they add something: tracking pages need a label; lock guides are published for finance, health, medical, photo, social and security apps.

What we never claim

  • That a label is accurate. Labels are self-reported by developers; Apple does not audit each one.
  • That an app is secure, encrypted or compliant, unless the label itself says so.
  • Hands-on testing, rankings or “best app” verdicts.

Updates and corrections

The current snapshot was checked in November 2026. Developers change labels with app updates, so always confirm on the App Store before relying on a detail. Found something wrong? Open a public correction with the page URL and a source.