On November 14, 2025, Apple added a new clause to the latest version of the App Store Review Guidelines, requiring all iOS apps to clearly inform users of the identity of the third-party artificial intelligence (AI) models that will receive personal data and obtain explicit user consent before transmitting such data.

This revision marks the first time that "third-party AI" has been included in the scope of data sharing regulations. Apps that violate these rules may face removal. The new rule is included in section 5.1.2(i) of the guidelines. Unlike the previous version, which only vaguely required "not to use, transmit, or share personal data without permission," the revised clause now includes the following statement: "You must clearly disclose which third parties personal data will be shared with, including third-party AI, and obtain the user's explicit consent before sharing."

Apple pointed out that regardless of whether developers use cloud-based large models for content generation or utilize external machine learning services to optimize recommendation algorithms, any application involving identifiable user information must complete notification and authorization within the app using pop-ups or other visible interaction methods. Relying solely on links to privacy policies is no longer sufficient.

This update was released before Apple plans to launch an AI-enhanced version of Siri in 2026. According to Bloomberg, the new Siri will partially integrate Google Gemini's large model to enable cross-app task execution. When asked about this by the media, Apple stated that tightening the rules on the use of third-party AI data in advance aims to "ensure that all developers—including Apple itself—operate under the same privacy framework." Industry lawyers believe that the new rules will directly affect many apps that use AI features:

Social software that uses external models to generate chat summaries

Health apps that send user vital data to the cloud for risk prediction

E-commerce platforms that use third-party algorithms for real-time personalized product recommendations

All of these scenarios will require re-designing the authorization process. Apple's review team emphasized that the term "AI" in the clause covers large language models, traditional machine learning, and any external reasoning services. Developers cannot avoid the requirements by citing ambiguous technical definitions. In addition to the AI clause, Apple also made several other adjustments to the review guidelines today:

New support guidelines for the Mini Apps Program

Stricter compliance requirements for lending, creator content, and cryptocurrency exchange applications, which are classified as "highly regulated areas," requiring additional qualifications and more rigorous reviews