Apps that support account creation will be required to allow account deletion starting Jan 31 2022

6th October, 2021 at 10:15 am by Sam

Apple has sent out a reminder to app developers stating that apps which allow account creation must also allow users to delete the account. Apple says the requirement will apply to all app submissions starting January 31, 2022.

This new requirement follows recent updates to the App Store Review Guidelines. In June, Apple had asked app developers to review laws that may require them to maintain certain types of data, such as electronic health records, sales records, and warranty records.

It is speculated that Apple has implemented this new requirement to reduce the amount of data that's stored by these apps, because if you can't delete your account it's never fully gone.

From The Verge:

Account deletion is a minor convenience, but considering how often apps require accounts and how easy it is to delete an app without ending your relationship with the company connected to it, it’s welcome. Apple’s announcement suggests only that developers “allow users to initiate deletion of their account from within the app,” so it’s possible implementations of these account deletion features could bump you to a browser during some part of the process.