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iPhone Developers Accessing Users' Telephone Numbers for Telemarketing?

Tuesday September 29, 2009 8:54 am PDT by Eric Slivka

French site Mac4Ever reports that a number of users of a free Swiss traffic application for the iPhone have received telemarketing calls from callers who claim that they received the users' telephone numbers from Apple after making the application purchase.

Since Apple's privacy policy would preclude Apple from providing such information, Mac4Ever dug into the issue and discovered that an iPhone application is capable of accessing a device's mobile telephone number with just a single line of code and can then send that information back to the developer without notifying the user that their personal information has been obtained. Mac4Ever confirmed this ability by creating its own proof-of-concept iPhone application and obtaining the phone number of one of its editors' iPhones.

From a client's side, Apple is the unique entiy you can deal with (except for the support). For a developer, it's quite the same : you can only deal with Apple, who never give you an access to the client's information. But it appears that this behaviour is available since firmware 2.1! So, how can't Cupertino be aware of such a thing? And how many apps are involved?

We contacted Apple about this issue and we will keep you posted as soon as we'll receive a complete answer.

It remains unclear whether other iPhone developers beyond those behind the application cited in the report have resorted to such tactics.
[ 32 comments ]

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Buskape
Posted: 31 months ago
Your number and who knows if other personal data..

This is a major concern, as it is a huge violation in Europe Commision laws, and totally UNACCEPTABLE!

Some users have reported being called by the company developing applications asking them to buy their full version

Source:
http://www.mac4ever.com/news/48159/exclu_iphone_une_vraie_passoire_pour_certaines_donnees_personnelles/

(scroll down for English)

I hope Apple does something about this VERY quickly, like verifying during the app approval process..... :mad:
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
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jav6454
Posted: 31 months ago
I believe this violates certain ethical and private laws all over the place.
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Mystikal
Posted: 31 months ago
Thats why you jailbreak, and download privacy.

Then they cant do anything :D. Jailbreaking wins again!
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
ghayenga
Posted: 31 months ago

Your number and who knows if other personal data..

This is a major concern, as it is a huge violation in Europe Commision laws, and totally UNACCEPTABLE!

Some users have reported being called by the company developing applications asking them to buy their full version

Source:
http://www.mac4ever.com/news/48159/exclu_iphone_une_vraie_passoire_pour_certaines_donnees_personnelles/

(scroll down for English)

I hope Apple does something about this VERY quickly, like verifying during the app approval process..... :mad:


There is a private API that will read the phone number off of the SIM card for those carriers that actually store the phone number there, but many don't. It *is* unauthorized and Apple will not approve it if they are aware of it.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
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SpaceKitty
Posted: 31 months ago

Thats why you jailbreak, and download privacy.

Then they cant do anything :D. Jailbreaking wins again!


That's true. Privacy was developed after it was discovered that allot of apps phone home informing them about many things including if you are Jailbroken or not and your IP and phone model.

I'm betting each one of us has a few apps at least that do something like this.
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EatMyApple
Posted: 31 months ago

Thats why you jailbreak, and download privacy.

Then they cant do anything :D. Jailbreaking wins again!


In Privacy settings, do you want the toggles ON or OFF to prevent information being shared. They came set to OFF but I changed them to ON. Not sure which one I need. Thanks!
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guzhogi
Posted: 31 months ago
Let the class action suits begin…
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willwc
Posted: 31 months ago
I wonder if other developers were even aware of this before. Well they are now.
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randallking
Posted: 31 months ago
I've had the same cell phone number for nine years, and that number is on the national Do Not Call registry. I never received one telemarketing call until just recently. In the past few months I've received two. This article makes me suspect that my phone number was obtained through one of the many apps I've used. Heavy iPhone and app usage is the only thing that's changed in my phone usage or who I give my number to.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
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dejo
Posted: 31 months ago

I wonder if other developers were even aware of this before.

I was. But it was my understanding that the App Review team was supposed to be looking out for abuses like this. It does violate the iPhone SDK Agreement. But I guess, just like in the case of Aurora Feint, another app that violates the agreement has still managed to slip through the cracks.
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