Developer Alert: Flurry has amended its privacy policy

Flurry, one of the most popular analytics and ad networks for mobile applications, amended their privacy policy earlier this week. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Flurry now uses MAC addresses for tracking, and has for the first time reserved their ability to use other tracking methods that may not be specified in their privacy policy.
2. The new policy notes that MAC addresses, UDID’s and IMEI’s hashed when stored by Flurry, and those hashes “may be shared with advertisers and publishers.” The policy does not state whether the hashing method also is shared, but presumably Flurry is hashing in order to prevent advertisers from having direct access to these identifiers.
3. Flurry has clarified that they do not use these identifiers to “enable demographic and segment advertising targeting” unless you affirmatively opt to share this information for that purpose.
4. For Flurry’s App Circle feature (which presents app recommendations to users across the Flurry network of apps), Flurry may collect location information on ad-clicks, but this is only at the “city level.”
5. Flurry’s opt-out for users now allows them to enter a MAC address to opt out; previously only the UDID or IMEI could be used. Note that Flurry clearly states that the opt-out will “stop tracking data” as to that user, which I read to mean that no data will be collected. Note that Flurry’s policy (and good practice) requires that you include a link to the opt-out within your app’s privacy policy.