Delete My Account (And All My Personal Data): Apple's App Requirement Takes Effect

Starting June 30, 2022, all apps available in the Apple App Store that offer account creation must also allow users to initiate account deletion within the app.

This requirement does not come as a surprise: Apple first announced this policy in 2021, and initially planned to roll it out by January 31, 2022, before pushing back the implementation date to June. Still, this policy will have significant implications for app developers, who are also preparing to comply with a number of recently-passed US state law privacy laws that take effect in 2023, and now must also consider the implications of a potential US federal privacy law that was introduced in Congress last week.

Apple states that the upcoming requirement, codified at Section 5.1.1(v) of the App Store Review Guidelines, is intended to provide users with greater control over their personal data. To facilitate implementation of this requirement, Apple offers developers several tips, including that (i)