How One App Sees Location Without Asking
One advertising company has found a way to estimate the location of iPhone app users without notifying them, a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed.
That’s not supposed to happen. Apple Inc. requires users to agree before apps can tap the phone’s location. Apple declined to comment.
The Journal discovered the apparent discrepancy when it tested the iPhone app Pumpkin Maker. The pumpkin-carving app transmitted the location of the Journal’s test phone without asking permission.
The app’s maker, Anthony Campiti, says he inserted a software “kit” from an advertising network, Greystripe Inc. That’s a common practice among app makers, who use these ready-made kits to place ads and generate revenue. Some apps use multiple kits; one of the 101 iPhone and Android apps tested by the Journal sent information to eight ad networks.
