Apple pull Clueful privacy utility iPhone app from App Store
Apple have pulled Clueful from their App Store, an app built by security specialists BitDefender intended to let users see exactly how other iOS applications use personal data.
The reasons behind Apple pulling the plug on the app remain undisclosed. With Clueful, BitDefender have found that 42.5% of the 60,000 top iOS apps they’ve studied were not encrypting a user’s personal data, even when being sent over a public Wi-Fi network. The data also showed that 41.4% of apps have the ability to track a user’s location.
“While most app developers use this information for legitimate purposes, others might not,” said Catalin Cosoi, Bitdefender’s chief security researcher.
“Clueful was the best way for iPhone owners to know the difference. While Clueful remains off the App Store, we are working hard toward understanding why our app was removed and to develop the app to improve its chances of staying there.”
BitDefender have committed to “continued development of Clueful and will resubmit to Apple”. But while the security firm are staying coy over the reasoning for the axing of the app, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the problem. Clueful acts to highlight the privacy issues surrounding a large chunk of the apps on Apple’s store, which surely won’t help sales, and by extension, the Cupertino company’s cut of the profits.
Luckily, those who already have BitDefender installed can continue to use it as per usual.
Via: The Register
