The Path iOS app had brought attention to the fact that iOS apps can access user information even if they do not explicitly ask for permission. Apple seeks to remedy this — when an app attempts to access your information, iOS 6 will notify you and ask for your permission. Hopefully, this will give users more control over their data, and make app developers more careful about how they handle user information.
Bitdefender reported that 18.6% of the 65,000 iOS apps they tested will access your address book without even notifying you and 41% track your location without permission. Making every single developer modify their apps might get quite difficult, so iOS 6 will just step up to the plate and let you know when your data is being accessed without permission.
This will help you keep your information safe, provided you’re not the type to reflexively tap “OK” every time you see it.
Still, this doesn’t change the fact that 42.5% of developers do not encrypt your data when they store it, so even though you’re giving one specific developer permission to access your information, chances are your data might still end up somewhere you don’t want it to be. iOS 6 does not solve this.
So until Apple makes developers treat user data more responsibly, we’re still stuck making compromises with our information every time we try out an app.
(via Cult of Mac)
Published: Jul 20, 2012 12:35 pm