Author: Nina Golgowski / Source: HuffPost
Apple is cracking down on apps that record iPhone users’ screens after a TechCrunch investigation revealed a number of major companies have been quietly recording their customers’ screen activity.
A review of the apps by TechCrunch and a mobile security expert found that companies like Expedia and Abercrombie & Fitch embedded so-called “session replay” technology into their apps with the help of London-based analytics firm Glassbox.
But not only are users not being explicitly informed that such screen recordings are being performed, according to a review of the companies’ privacy policies by TechCrunch and HuffPost, but also, in at least one case, sensitive user data was not omitted from the recordings.
A spokesperson for Apple, in a statement to TechCrunch on Thursday, stressed that its apps are required to provide “a clear visual indication when recording, logging, or otherwise making a record of user activity.” If they don’t comply, they could be removed from Apple’s app store, TechCrunch reported.
“We have notified the developers that are in violation of these strict privacy terms and guidelines, and will take immediate action if necessary,” the statement read.
A spokesperson from Apple did not immediately respond to a request from HuffPost for comment.
Glassbox’s visual monitoring is designed to allow companies to examine how its users interact with the app to improve its performance, according to the company’s website.
“Always watching, always learning ― Glassbox is like giving your website or app a brain,” Glassbox said in a
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