“Code analytics platform SourceDNA has found hundreds of apps on the App Store that used private APIs to collect private user data, like email addresses and device identifiers, slipping under Apple’s radar in the approval process,” Benjamin Mayo reports for 9to5Mac.
“The code got into these apps through the inclusion of a mischievous third-party advertising SDK, which secretly stored this data and sent it off to its own servers,” Mayo reports. “Apple has now verified the SourceDNA report and is removing all of the apps that included the advertising SDK from the store, as using private API calls is a breach of App Review Guidelines. Apple has also patched its approval processes to prevent any more apps that use this technique to make it onto the App Store.”
“The SDK under examination comes from a Chinese advertising company, Youmi,” Mayo reports. “SourceDNA used its own binary search tools to find 256 apps that included the unscrupulous SDK, which have received over a million downloads in total.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple just continues to protect users’ privacy.
In related news, Google adds thousands of apps to Android store that collect user data and calls it a feature.
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Xcode should have caught those.
Is there is a list of apps available?
It would be nice to know I have any installed.
If these are indeed no longer on the App Store you could just compare your installed apps with the Purchased apps list.
A Chinese advertising company, eh? I am so shocked.
Thank you Apple! 😊 I need a list please.
Multi-step process:
1) Remove the offending apps from The App Store
2) Notify everyone who downloaded these apps (and automatically delete these apps?)
3) Refund the purchase price for these apps, since they were “defective” relative to Apple’s requirements
4) Block the offending developers permanently
5) Sue the offending developers for cost plus damages
The biggest question in my mind – should Apple simply delete these apps because they do not comply with Apple requirements? Or should Apple leave it up to customers to choose whether or not to delete them?
I’d vote for telling us, and then letting us decide.
i’d vote for them telling us, WITH OPTIONAL APPS LISTED, and then letting us decide…
These apps were accessing and storing personal information, like Apple ID and device serial numbers, according to a report by SourceDNA. The security blog found 256 tainted programs, all of which had used a software development kit (SDK) provided by Chinese advertiser Youmi. Youmi then allegedly farmed the information from users, largely unbeknownst to the actual developers of the apps, according to SourceDNA.