Das G, Cheung C, Nebeker C, Bietz M, Bloss C. (2018). Privacy policies for apps targeted toward youth: Descriptive analysis of readability. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 6(1): e3. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.7626
Researchers analyzed the readability of 64 privacy policies for top ranked (i.e., within top 30 free and paid in Apple and Android app stores) mobile applications (apps) usable by minors. Apps were usable by minors if they did not involve external monetary transactions, interaction with strangers, or pregnancy (i.e. excluding shopping, dating, ride-service, and pregnancy apps; in-app purchases not excluded). Researchers calculated word count, reading ease, reading grade level, sentence count, and number of words with 3 or more syllables for privacy policies. Privacy policies had a mean length of 2,425 words and mean reading grade level of 12.78 (indicating readability to those with more than a 12th grade education). Privacy policies had an average reading ease score of 42.73 on a scale of 0-100, higher scores indicate greater readability. When apps were categorized by purpose: entertainment, social networking, utility (e.g., flashlight, email). App categories differed significantly by word count. Social media apps had the longest privacy policies and utility apps had the shortest. There were no significant differences in reading grade level between categories of apps. Researchers noted that no apps had a reading grade level below 8.0, the average reading grade level among adults in the United States. Moreover, the average reading ease (42.73) was significantly lower than the reading ease recommended by the Patient Privacy Rights’ Trust Framework (PPR TF) of 45.0. Researchers recommend that app developers include readable summaries to accompany legal privacy policies and that youth receive age-appropriate education about safety and privacy when using mobile apps from health care providers or educators.