Is there a way to block me as the App Developer from seeing the value of a particular column in glideapps as a security feature? This is a finance app I built and I don’t want to be able to see User Income info that they add in a particular column in Glide Editor or GoogleSheet.
Something similar to the virtual addresses that are assigned as a security feature.
I don’t know if I agree with this. I am still able to see User Input info in certain columns.
The Glide bot is mistaken. Row owners is a security feature between users of the app, but the developers of the app will be able to see all the data.
The protected column feature is the closest there is to what you need, but that won’t work either.
I don’t think there is a true secure way currently for a developer to develop an app in Glide (the data structure and user interface) and not see the data of the app.
Oh ok. So, out of curiosity…How is this achieved with the virtual addresses that are assigned in lieu of the user’s true email address on public sign in? If I could get a feature that is able to scramble the data in a column that would be cool. My app is finished but a few ppl asked if I am able to see their income…so Im thinking this might be a concern for some.
You would need to be able to hash the data, but as far as l know that feature is not available natively in Glide.
The hash feature is only available for email addresses used by users to sign in, and this feature isn’t available at the column level but in the settings at the app level. Email addresses are a special piece of data as they play the role of a user ID. To be in line with local privacy regulations and in particular GDPR in the EU, Glide offers the possibility to anonymize these email addresses.
Ok…thank you.
@OndieM - is this income value used in any way in the App after it’s been entered? ie. do you display the value in this column anywhere?
Yes, once the income is entered…calculations happen in the background…then the results are displayed on a chart. So there’s an input box to enter income…answer some questions, then calculations happen based on the income entered. So it is displayed to the User. But only the User can see their personal info. I can see what they entered on the Glide Editor and Google Sheets. I’m trying to fix it where I can’t see it as an app developer. (Some of the ppl using this app are my friends, and I feel that that’s their personal info…and I want them to feel safe using it.) I just thought about how the virtual addresses are issued in lieu of the original email address and thought maybe there was someway to do the same for columns we choose.
Yeah, I get it.
The reason for my question was if you were only using the App to collect that information, then Protected Columns might have been an option. With Protected Columns you can add data via a form, but once it’s been added you can’t see it or use it in any other way.
But not helpful in this case, it seems.
I was considering it at first, and then I realized that you said the data can’t be used in any other way.
So I asked Chat GPT and it suggested the following: (basically what Nathan said…but he said it probably won’t work for columns)
"1. Create a new sheet in your Glide app.
2. In the new sheet, create a column for the user’s income data.
3. In the script editor, write a custom formula or function that will hash or encrypt the user’s income data when it is entered into the app.
4. Save and publish your app.
Now, when the user enters their income data into the app, it will be encrypted or hashed and stored in the new sheet. The app developer will not be able to see the user’s actual income data, only the encrypted or hashed version of it.
Note: This is just a general idea and there are different encryption methods that you can use. The exact steps may vary based on the method you choose and your programming skills. Before implementing this in a live app, make sure to test and validate the encryption method you choose to ensure it is secure and reliable."
Do you think this will work? If so, I may give it a try
The hashing might work, but it still won’t hide the original entry from you.
Yeah, I see that now…lol. I just tried it and it didn’t work. Haha…thanks for helping.
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