Following a report regarding Apple collecting user data through the App Store, a lawsuit has surfaced accusing the company of wilful privacy violations and selling user data without consent.
Elliot Libman, the plaintiff in the case, claims that Apple violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act.
Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry, app developers and security specialists with the software company Mysk, have learned that iOS sends “every touch you make” to Apple from within one of the company’s own applications.
The Mysk team investigation reveals that despite users’ ability to disable data gathering in their settings, Apple is still collecting this information, providing them with a fake sense of privacy.
The App Store records your personal information in real-time, including the keys you tapped, the apps you looked at, the adverts you saw, and even how long you spent exploring an App Store listing, according to a YouTube video posted by Mysk.
Mysk revealed that the information Apple obtains from users includes ID numbers, the kind of phone you are using, including the resolution of its display, your internet connection, and the language you use on your keyboard. In addition, the Stocks app disclosed the stocks you’re following, the times you checked for a quote, and any news articles you’ve read about the company.
“The level of detail is shocking for a company like Apple,” said Tommy Mysk. And, given that the information gathered by Apple can be used to detect a user’s interest and whether the user has health or addiction concerns, it’s no surprise that the case was filed.
“Through its pervasive and unlawful data tracking and gathering business, Apple knows even the most intimate and potentially embarrassing parts of the user’s app usage—regardless of whether the user accepts Apple’s illusory offer to keep such activities secret,” the lawsuit claims.
