“Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, has confirmed there is a ‘kill switch’ built into the iPhone [operating system] that allows Apple to remotely delete malicious or inappropriate applications stored on the device,” Claudine Beaumont reports for The Telegraph.
“iPhone and iPod touch owners are able to install additional software on their devices purchased from the Apple Application Store,” Beaumont reports.
“Mr Jobs insisted that the so-called ‘kill switch’ was there as a precaution, rather than a function that was routinely used,” Beaumont reports. “‘Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull,’ said Mr Jobs.”
“Mr Jobs also announced that in the month since the iPhone 3G was released and the Application Store launched, around 60 million applications had been downloaded for the iPhone and iPod touch,” Beaumont reports.
Full article here.
Reportedly, the “kill switch” found last week (please see related article below) would allow Apple to block access to Core Location (GPS) for misbehaving apps. Whether or not Jobs was referencing that ability or another undiscovered “kill switch” is unknown.
It has been exactly one month since the iPhone 3G came out. The CEO of Apple publicly stated that the phone has this so-called “Kill Switch”. I am having a hard time trying to figure out how can this now be underhanded? Were they supposed to spend $10 million on an advertising campaign educating consumers about this “Kill Switch”? What would have been transparent enough a move?
Just as people click on links promising free home video of Paris Hilton, they’ll be downloadning a free application that does something everyone wants (“Free copy/paste function for your iPhone!”). Between hundreds of Apps that go through Apple’s approval process, a malicious code could easily sneak under the cloak of a useful “Copy/Paste” utility. You may use your imagination to come up with the variety of bad things such an app could do (many already mentioned above).
Civil libertarians would do well to climb down from their high horse here, since Big Brother this is absolutely not. Remember, you, as an iPhone owner, are Apple’s customer. If you have any experience with Apple’s customer service, you should know that they will always bend over backwards for the consumer.
If an app is ever killed on your iPhone remotely, you may safely bet your right arm that Apple will make things right for you. They will refund the money and explain why the app was yanked, or restore the App (or provide you with a link to re-download it for free), if their decision was a bad one (like the $1k “I Am Rich” situation). You will not be treated like a Dell customer, that’s for sure.
Killswitch Engage is a great band! ROCK ON!
On a serious note, I thought Apple are meant to check out all the Aps before adding them to the App store. Why add an App that is not suitable, they remove it later? Why don’t they just not add it to the App store in the first place?
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When you’re playing Global Thermonuclear War, you need a kill switch.
JAYGEE
they probably didn’t think of that…
What a program like NetShare or BoxOffice? Could/would Apple yank them from the phones of people that were fortunate enough to download before they were pulled from the App Store?
Oops!
That should say, “What about a program like…”
It was a rough 1st day back at school!
As always with Apple, you can compute any way you like…so long as it’s Steve Jobs’ way. Drink deeply from the well of Cupertino Kool-Aid.
“Drink deeply from the well of Cupertino Kool-Aid.”
I applaud your originality. Are you still wowing party guests with your explanations of the history of DLL errors? You must be very popular.
That plastic back that replaced the metal version?
Plastic explosives baby. DO NOT piss off the Stevester.
I’d like to know what can happen if/when the hacker community finds a way to access that kill switch themselves. Random deletion of my apps and data?
Kill switch swill switch….
Just as long as Apple issues my card a REBATE for whenever they elect to delete an App that I’ve already PAID FOR… I’ll not seek Class Action Status in the following Lawsuits
A Kill switch is a very smart idea, it is possible someone makes a virus and some how gets it onto the phone (not likely, but surely possible) – from there as soon as Apple finds it, the can kill the virus… Quite smart indeed.
All you guys are so damn unbelievably paranoid, it’s ridiculous!
It’s like you’re living in a country with a juvenile and useless president who tortures people, spies on citizens and attacks other countries for no good reason!
I mean…wait. Oh, ok.
Ok, you got my interest in this Topic, did some quick digging, and found this – very interesting:
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/07/kill_switches_a.html
Opening below, follow above link for entire post … BC
Kill Switches and Remote Control
It used to be that just the entertainment industries wanted to control your computers — and televisions and iPods and everything else — to ensure that you didn’t violate any copyright rules. But now everyone else wants to get their hooks into your gear.
OnStar will soon include the ability for the police to shut off your engine remotely. Buses are getting the same capability, in case terrorists want to re-enact the movie Speed. The Pentagon wants a kill switch installed on airplanes, and is worried about potential enemies installing kill switches on their own equipment.
Microsoft is doing some of the most creative thinking along these lines, with something it’s calling “Digital Manners Policies.”
According to its patent application, DMP-enabled devices would accept broadcast “orders” limiting their capabilities. Cellphones could be remotely set to vibrate mode in restaurants and concert halls, and be turned off on airplanes and in hospitals. Cameras could be prohibited from taking pictures in locker rooms and museums, and recording equipment could be disabled in theaters. Professors finally could prevent students from texting one another during class.
The possibilities are endless, and very dangerous …
I’d like to see a kill switch for George Bush.
I still don’t quite get it. Most of the arguments/scenarios above apply to most computer apps for the Mac as well as the iPhone. The only thing unique about the iPhone is that it has GPS and it is a phone and that it transmits data over the AT&T;network, maybe?
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There still must be something I am missing (no jokes, please
Does it kill porn?
@ Cubert–
Does your Apple branded laptop feature a GPS chip?
I know mine doesn’t…
“Were they supposed to spend $10 million on an advertising campaign educating consumers about this “Kill Switch”? What would have been transparent enough a move?”
No, but if they weren’t trying to hide it, at least it’d be in the SDK documentation.
There’s lots of ways to provide the iPhone antivirus/antimalware features you seek (Yes, that’s what the kill switch is, if used for good) without hiding it from developers and the customer.
But if the purpose was to kill arbitrary apps because Steve just doesn’t like them, it’d be a good idea to keep it secret as long as possible.
Apple shouldn’t be in the business of deciding what an “inappropriate” application is. That’s a weasel word which lets them ban just about anything they feel like.
Why this title partially in french? Especially after having cursed Frenchies not to have entered G.W.Bush’s plot of September 11?
Are suddenly eyes getting opened?
Steve Jobs is a control freak. To the core. If M$ did this the whole world would be screaming bloody murder.
But having said that, the idea of Apple having the ability to kill an App that turns out to be a trojan is not such a bad idea. Maybe something like this in all desktops/laptops might put the pinch on virus/trojan/malware writers.
I wish Steve hadn’t used the “kill switch” on Apple iCards!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/macsmiley/2652541101/
“Maybe something like this in all desktops/laptops might put the pinch on virus/trojan/malware writers.”
It’s called the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool and runs every month on your PC if you have automated updates turned on. Unlike Apple, Microsoft documents what it is and how it works, and it can be turned off if you don’t want it.
Well I for one think this is a great idea as long as it isn’t abused.
What if someone did write a seemingly benign app that actually sent back your name, mobile number and exact GPS location on demand to a third party? Then that App was used to locate someone. Maybe something along the lines of the “I am rich” app being used to locate and kidnap rich people for ransom or something equally dodgy.
Maybe it could be used to send a report of the whereabouts every 5 minutes to a boss about their employee for a fee. Spying on people is a bad thing. No matter what they may be doing and I believe that App should be pulled if it slipped through. So a kill switch for Core Location access to an Application is a good idea.
And one for killing malicious or trojan type apps off altogether is also good. However I would expect Apple to post a note as to why it was killed off and who we can press charges against.
And to the guy who is saying there is no OSX Malware. A trojan classed as malware however it is a normal Application, installed by the user (usually with a password) that does things other than what is stated on the tin! For example. A keystroke logger.
Basically something with a hidden immoral or illegal purpose. That’s why I never install anything that is designed to store my bank or credit card details. Who’s to say they don’t get sent back to a third party. Maybe they don’t and maybe Apple test thoroughly for that but that type of malware has nothing to do with how secure a computer is and everything to do with how gullible or over trusting a user might be.
As far as I can see most Mac users are a little bit more discerning than the average Windows user because they actually made a conscious choice what computer/OS to buy after weighing up all the choices.
Now what Apple does with this kill switch is where the wisdom comes in. But as long as it’s there to protect the users from dross and scumbags then I’m all for it.
@TheConfuzed1,
“Does your Apple branded laptop feature a GPS chip?”
It just may. It just may.