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15 Feb 2012 15:23

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Tech: Apple affirms that Path violated their terms, issues iOS update fix

  • Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines. We’re working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.
  • Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr • In a statement about Apple’s privacy policies, as pertaining to the iPhone. This statement came hot on the heels of the revelation that two Democratic congressman (G.K. Butterfield and Henry A. Waxman) had sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, requesting information about privacy permissions. The inciting incident here was the iPhone app Path, which was revealed to be uploading users’ address books to their company servers without asking permission, or offering any notification. Path tried to curb the controversy by apologizing and offering an opt-out, but  the damage to their credibility (and, by association, Apple’s) had already hit. And amidst word that a number of widely-used apps — most notably Twitterdid the same thing, Apple has affirmed that what Path did was a violation of their privacy practices, and has released an update for iOS that allows users to delete the database by switching off location services. source

15 Nov 2010 10:39

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Tech: Social network Path: Like Facebook on opposite day, apparently

  • one The just-launched social network was launched with help from Napster’s other founder, Shawn Fanning. No Sean Parker in Path’s way.
  • two Rather than allowing you as many friends as you can stand, Path limits you to 50, so that (presumably) you’ll limit it to your best friends.
  • three The site does not allow you to do such things as like or comment on photos, publish to other sites, or search for friends. WTF? source

31 Mar 2009 10:09

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U.S.: More people think the U.S. is headed in the right direction

  • 15% number of respondents who in December said yes to a Washington Post survey about whether they think the country’s headed in the right direction.
  • 42% number of respondents who said the same thing in March – surprisingly, the highest percentage of yes responses that question has seen in five years. source