Apple makes a statement about the iOS Contacts security flaw

In an uncharacteristic move, Apple has actually responded to inquires regarding the latest iOS security flaw. For those that don’t know, it was recently discovered that many applications in the App Store can access, store, and even transmit contact information saved on an iOS device without permission. An application called Path was the first to come under fire for this, but it was soon joined by many high profile apps including Twitter, Yelp and Foursquare.

Even though many of the offending applications have since fixed this breach of security, Apple is still receiving a fair bit of criticism. In fact, Henry Waxman and G.K. Butterfield of the US Congress have even gotten involved, sending Mr. Cook a letter explaining that this issue “raises questions about whether Apple’s iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts.”

The congress isn’t the only organization asking for answers, though. Countless websites and news outlets have contacted Cook and the gang to get a statement and, in a somewhat surprising move, AllThingD actually received one! According to Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr,

“Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines. 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.”

So there you have it. They’re “working on it.” Let’s hope this fix comes a bit sooner than the one for the iPhone 4S’s battery issue.

Via: CNET, AllThingsD