Apple: Developers must use App Transport Security by 2017

Apple has announced that the deadline by which app developers must enable App Transport Security (ATS) in all apps is 1 January 2017. ATS is not a new feature of iOS 10, having been introduced in iOS 9 and it increases the security of data transferred over the web by apps.

With ATS enabled, apps are forced to use the far more secure HTTPS rather than HTTP, and this is something we've become accustomed to looking out for when browsing the web. At the moment, developers are able to disable ATS, but from the end of the year this will no longer be possible.

In just over six months, any developer submitting an app to the App Store will be forced to leave ATS enabled if they want to be listed. This ensures that user data remains encrypted, in line with Apple's renewed focus on security and privacy.

This is an important move by Apple. While web users have, finally, been drilled in the importance of looking for the padlock icon that indicates a secure connection, when it comes to apps users are largely left in the dark. With ATS Apple ensures that security is taken care of automatically so users can rest assured that their private data is safe.

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