Some supermarkets are going to adjust their Apps to make it clearer what certain data is being collected for. This is the result of a Kassa broadcast, in which a developer and teacher from the Hogeschool Utrecht state that this was too unclear.

Kassa had UX designer Marcel Stalenhoef of the Hogeschool Utrecht carry out research into the apps of five large supermarkets. In addition to the user-friendliness, he also looked at how the apps inform the user about Privacy and conditions. Stalenhoef therefore did not look at the legitimacy of data collection, but mainly at how the apps informed users of this. He concluded that customers are poorly informed about three of the five apps.

Most supermarkets indicate that they adjust the apps based on the Kassa research. Albert Heijn says in a response ‘to act in accordance with the privacy conditions’ and says that customers are informed of this when they start the app. The supermarket says it will “soon update the privacy notifications in the app to be at the forefront of privacy protection.” The supermarket was not immediately accessible to explain exactly what it means by that.

Plus will request less personal information when registering and will explain why data is being collected in more places in the app. Coop says it ‘only has the necessary online for the AVG legislation’. Starting next month, the company will offer customers the option of choosing which cookies they will and will not accept. Picnic and Jumbo are clear about their privacy policy. According to the researcher, they clearly state when what information is collected and for what purpose.

Stalenhoef says that the apps often do not explain clearly why they collect certain personal data. “The apps ask for your age, for example, but they don’t tell why they do it. So you don’t know if it’s because they can’t sell you alcohol or if they build a profile of you,” he tells . Stalenhoef also states that a lot of information is not necessarily necessary for delivering groceries.