In-app account deletion mechanism is present and accessible
Why it matters
Apple has required in-app account deletion for all apps that allow account creation since June 2022 (external apple-guideline-5.1.1). Apps that route users to an email address or external form for deletion are rejected on every submission, not just the first. Beyond the rejection risk, failing to provide in-app deletion violates GDPR Art.17 (right to erasure) and CCPA §1798.105 (right to deletion) — both of which require that deletion be initiatable by the user without unreasonable friction. 'Email us to delete your account' does not satisfy either regulation.
Severity rationale
Critical because Apple rejects every submission that creates user accounts without in-app deletion — there is no exception or deferral, and GDPR Art.17 requires erasure be technically possible.
Remediation
Add a 'Delete Account' option accessible from your settings or account management screen. The complete flow: Settings → Delete Account → confirmation dialog ('This cannot be undone') → API call → sign out + navigate to login.
For Supabase, call the deletion from a secure server-side function — never from the client with a service role key:
// Supabase Edge Function: delete-account.ts
await supabase.from('user_files').delete().eq('user_id', userId);
await supabase.from('posts').delete().eq('user_id', userId);
await supabase.from('profiles').delete().eq('id', userId);
await supabase.auth.admin.deleteUser(userId);
If a 30-day recovery window applies, inform the user clearly before they confirm. The deletion option must be navigable from within the app — no external links or support emails.
DetectionPro
The detection method for this pattern is part of AuditBuffet Pro.
The full method (what to look for, pass and fail conditions, and how results get reported) ships inside the App Store Privacy & Data Compliance Audit. The pattern definition, severity rationale, and remediation remain openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
External references
- gdpr · Art. 17 — Right to erasure ('right to be forgotten')
- ccpa · §1798.105 — Right to deletion of personal information
- external · apple-guideline-5.1.1 — App Store Review Guideline 5.1.1 — Data Collection and Storage: account deletion required
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from app-store-privacy-data·automated