Apple has said it will clamp down on apps that share users' contacts lists in a bid to stave off criticism over privacy violations.The data grab came to light when social networking app Path was exposed as collecting users’ entire contacts lists without their knowledge – while Twitter has also admitted its Friend Finder feature stores contact details for 18 months.
Apple moved to stop the rot by saying it would require explicit permission from end users before apps could collect contact data with its next upgrade.
“Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines,” an Apple spokesperson told Macworld.
“We’re working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.”
The decision comes as lawmakers in the US asked Apple to clarify its position in the wake of the Path scandal.
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http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/372829/apple-to-warn-users-about-contacts-list-grab
Topic: Apple to warn users about contacts list grab (Read 2761 times)