Apple App Developer Privacy Guidance - Mixpanel

Privacy Program

Apple App Developer Privacy Guidance

Privacy is at the forefront of Mixpanel’s product design, which is why we welcome Apple’s efforts to develop privacy “nutrition labels,” and share Apple’s privacy ethics. From data collection to storage and analysis, Mixpanel meets Apple’s privacy guidelines for the App Store.

Mixpanel’s Data Collection

Mixpanel enables customers to select which data to send (or not send), empowering them to make important and informed privacy decisions when conducting data analysis. Mixpanel is not an “ad-tech,” “data brokerage,” or “data enrichment” provider; we ingest and process only the data you send us and we never combine it with data from other sources.

Our Commitments and Privacy Policies

You can read more about Mixpanel’s privacy practices in our Privacy Notice, our Marketing Notice, and our EU and California Data Protection Addenda. Together with our internal policies and procedures, these documents govern our use of our customers’ data.

Dedicated Global Team

Mixpanel sees data privacy as a fundamental civil right and has a dedicated Global Privacy Program. Mixpanel also has a Global and European DPO along with seasoned privacy attorneys overseeing its Privacy Program. The overall program is led by the Global Head of Privacy and Security from Mixpanel’s San Francisco headquarters, and the EU team is based in the United Kingdom and in France.

General Information

Mixpanel helps businesses build better products. Mixpanel’s powerful, self-serve product analytics software helps its customers convert, engage, and retain more users. It does not provide data enrichment, data aggregation, or advertising services.

1. Customers In Control

Designed for privacy and security, Mixpanel puts developers and product owners in control by allowing them to select which data elements are sent to Mixpanel for processing. While Mixpanel’s software development kits (SDKs) come with some pre-configured options, customers are free to remove those options and tailor the SDKs to fit their needs. This privacy-enhancing feature also means that customers may have different answers to the privacy questions Apple has asked App Developers.

2. No “Tracking”

Mixpanel does not engage in “tracking” as defined by Apple. While each Mixpanel customer is empowered to configure Mixpanel’s SDKs how they see fit, that configuration generally does not allow customers to combine their data with third-party data, and is generally not used for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes, or for sharing data with data brokers.

3. No Granular Location Data Collection

Mixpanel does not collect precise location information, and our Terms of Use prevent customers from sharing that data with us. In general, and for legal and compliance purposes, Mixpanel does collect “coarse” location information–like city, state, and country.

4. Custom Data Retention Periods

Customers are free to set whatever data retention period they would like for personal data. If no selection is made, Mixpanel retains data for 5 years.

Apple Specific Questions

Mixpanel applauds and welcomes Apple’s efforts to develop privacy “nutrition labels,” and Mixpanel shares Apple’s privacy ethics. As noted in our prior disclosure, these commitments have led Mixpanel to put control of data into its customers’ hands. As such, the answers below are offered only as an illustration, and customers should consult with their development teams to ensure they are accurately answering Apple’s questions.

1. Data Use

Apple advises App Store Developers to “have a clear understanding of how each data type is used by you and your third-party partners.” Customers use Mixpanel, in general, for the following purposes:

Purpose: Developer’s Advertising and Marketing Definition: Mixpanel’s Messages and Experiments capabilities allow customers to send messages to certain cohorts or segments of users based on those users’ behavior. This information is not shared with others or enriched with data beyond what the customers share with Mixpanel. Customizable: Yes; Customers are free to use these products, and nothing is enabled by default.

Purpose: Analytics Definition: Mixpanel’s software allows customers to send Mixpanel data for analysis, visualization and reporting. These use cases help customers understand user behavior, the nature and effectiveness of a product or service, and to understand other audience metrics (like engagement). Customizable: Yes; Customers can select how to use Mixpanel and it can be configured to meet multiple use cases.

2. Types of Data

Apple asks App Store Developers to “refer to the list of data types below and compare them to the data collection practices in your app.” To help empower customers to do that, Mixpanel strongly recommends speaking with a development or implementation team to ensure an accurate description of the data sent to Mixpanel. However, and in general, Mixpanel collects the following by default for iOS devices:

Contact Information

Mixpanel does not collect “contact information” as defined by Apple by default.

Health and Fitness

Mixpanel does not collect “health and fitness” information as defined by Apple by default.

Financial Information

Mixpanel does not collect “financial information” as defined by Apple by default.

Location

Mixpanel collects city, region, and country location information by default, but does not collect granular or real-time geolocation data by default and prohibits such collection in its standard terms of use.

Sensitive Info

Mixpanel does not collect “sensitive info” by default and generally prohibits customers from providing such information absent an express exception (such as HIPAA compliant processing).

Contacts

Mixpanel does not collect “contacts” information as defined by Apple by default.

User Content

Mixpanel does not collect “user content” information as defined by Apple by default.

Browsing History

On iOS, Mixpanel does not collect “browsing history” information as defined by Apple by default.

Identifiers

Mixpanel collects a Mixpanel generated alphanumeric user ID and a unique alphanumeric event ID by default. Mixpanel also collects several device identifiers by default, including iOS Device Model, iOS App Release, iOS Version, Operating System, and Device ID. A complete list of the event and profile data tracked by Mixpanel by default on iOS is available here.

Search History

Mixpanel does not collect “search history” information as defined by Apple by default.

Purchases

Mixpanel does not collect “purchase” information as defined by Apple by default.

Usage Data

Mixpanel collects device interaction data as defined by Apple by default. Mixpanel collects processing time data, session information, and information about when applications were opened and for how long. A complete list of the usage data collected by Mixpanel by default is available here.

Diagnostics

Mixpanel does not collect “diagnostics” information as defined by Apple by default.

Other Data

As noted above, Mixpanel empowers its customers to modify these default properties freely and many (if not most) do. Mixpanel therefore strongly encourages its customers to check with internal development teams before responding to Apple.

Contacting Mixpanel

Mixpanel’s Global Privacy Program can be reached by writing to [email protected]; our DPOs can be reached by writing to [email protected].