Tim Cook reportedly 'grilled' Path co-founder over privacy issue
A new report claims Apple CEO Tim Cook harangued Dave Morin, co-founder of the company that developed the "Path" app, when he learned that the software was uploading users' address books to its servers without their permission.
According to people familiar with the meeting, Cook "hauled" Morin into Apple's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters to be "grilled" by him and other executives after hearing of the privacy violation, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported on Thursday (via Business Insider).
A developer discovered the behind-the-scenes upload feature in February. Though "Path," a social networking app, wasn't the only app uploading users' address books, its high-profile re-launch late last year left it in an unfortunate spotlight for the controversy.
The revelation struck a nerve with users and the media and prompted strong criticism of "Path." The company quickly apologized and removed the offending feature from its software.
Apple subsequently distanced itself from the situation by stating that apps collecting or transmitting personal information without obtaining permission are in violation of its guidelines. The iPhone maker promised to require explicit user approval before apps access contact data in a future software release.
Recent privacy-related concerns have attracted the attention of lawmakers. Two U.S. congressmen sent a letter to Cook last month over the address book issue. Earlier this month, Senator Charles Schumer called for an FTC investigation of Apple and Google over both the address book controversy and a potential loophole with geo-tagged photos. Both companies responded that they were willing to meet with the senator to discuss his concerns.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Uploading personal details from a users address book is unforgivable and a total breach of the trust we have with our devices.
It's about time Apple made a scapegoat of a big developer.
Path should have been kicked off the App Store and all the people involved should have been banned from any future Apple app.
Uploading personal details from a users address book is unforgivable and a total breach of the trust we have with our devices.
It's about time Apple made a scapegoat of a big developer.
The fact that Dave Morin's balls are floating in a sealed container on Tim's conference table should serve as enough of a warning...
I look forward to the improved privacy options that will be introduced on future iOS releases.
There are many apps stealing your details, thankfully that will soon be more controllable.
Where is Tallest when you need a jpg?
<Tim-Cook-Image caption="Ve hav vays to make yoo talk"/>
Where is Tallest when you need a jpg?
About to go to sleep. If I remember tomorrow, I'll see what I can do.
iOS has needed better protection of user data for a while. Thankfully the Path event raised this to the level required to get changes made.
I agree. They have displayed a warning icon whenever an app accesses your location for a while now. In retrospect it seems obvious they should have done contacts and calendars at the same time. But then that's true of a lot of things. Hopefully iOS 5.2 will address it.
Also I hope the App Store app checking team got a slight grilling too.
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Personally, I would like Apple to completely block off apps from accessing information of the users without even an option of the user enabling the share accidentally. If I want to share my personal information and the information of my contacts I can as well choose Android or be on Facebook.
I don't know what apple have done to prevent these kind of sly uploading of information, but Tim cook did say that they will fix it in later updates of iOS, not sure if he meant 5.1 or later.
About to go to sleep. If I remember tomorrow, I'll see what I can do.
Please do it! I am looking forward! And sleep well!
Considering all of the garbage apps Apple allows past their approval process, I think this is Apple's fault.
I agree. It reflects badly on the developers that do things properly and drowns their apps under a steady flow of crap... not necessarily from little companies...
I'm thinking of some of Coca-Cola's apps, for example, as well as horrible things like the "undress girls scanner" or whatever it's called, which actually has several versions with diverse names, and doesn't actually do what it's supposed to (magically?) do, leading to many people being unhappy. While I would call this "evolutionnary process" (hey, if you really are stupid enough to 1- wanna do that and 2- think the iPhone is magical enough to undress people (although, with some advanced IR algorithm.... uh, let's not go there) you definitely should not be allowed to buy stuff anyway... but I'm a bit of an integrist then... vote with your wallet is a vote, it should require some kind of license ^^) still, Apple allows stuff in that has deliberate misleading descriptions, doesn't really work, crash, is plain ugly (ok, maybe that one is open to discussion...), steals information...
So yeah, Apple, step up your act, and tighten your grip on AAA companies! Anyone seen the _horrible_ Assassin's Creed for iPhone? It uses a freaking virtual controller, precisely what Apple explains should not be done.But then again it's Ubisoft, they're serious developers, let's only apply rules to little guys
In the app store prior to purchase, the description of the above program discloses that it will indeed upload just the names of all of your contacts so that its voice recognition servers can be more accurate later on. Likewise, it also states that it will log all of your dictation to their servers, again to improve the service over time. After purchase, you are presented with the license agreement where it is again stated & you have to agree to it. I didn't & deleted the app,; never used it. I am grateful the company, Nuance Communications, disclosed properly.
Siri also streams your voice to Apple servers, and I believe it is partly based on Nuance technology.
I wish there was a Dragon for iPad that doesn't stream to external servers, as there is a Dragon for Mac/PC. I'd gladly pay an iPad's worth for that particular app.
first offense - product banned automatically for three months and until fixed
second offense - product banned automatically for six months and until fixed and a session with Tim Cook
third offense - product banned automatically for a year, probation system for newly submitted products.
Ideas? Can anyone else here can come up with creative ways to punish violations and reward developers for not trying to screw their customers?
I think this what has been missing from any existing ecosystem. I am all for innovation, but if that means potential ID theft, malware, security risks, then we need to start developing ways to distinguish what contributes to innovation versus another supporting another OS prone to these things.
But why are we only talking about iOS when desktop apps have even more lack security and usually all the same data we have on our phones? I'd like to see desktop apps locked down, too.
About to go to sleep. If I remember tomorrow, I'll see what I can do.
By definition, you cannot "remember tomorrow", it's in the future. It's almost an oxymoron
While it is still the crooks fault for stealing if a bank leaves the alarm off and vault door open it's still the banks fault for not securing their valuables. For this I hold Apple responsible. I had no idea that one could get so much access to my user data simply by installing an iOS app. I thought the sandboxing, by definition, was designed to prevent that.
But why are we only talking about iOS when desktop apps have even more lack security and usually all the same data we have on our phones? I'd like to see desktop apps locked down, too.
Indeed, and has anyone seen Pinterest's terms of use? Makes Facebook and Zuckerberg seem like saints.
Or is "nakid ladies" a bigger issue than privacy theft!!!!!?????
By definition, you cannot "remember tomorrow", it's in the future. It's almost an oxymoron
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Future Perfect Tense
I will have sung
The future perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and use. The future perfect tense talks about the past in the future.
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/v...re-perfect.htm