iPhone Police Scanner App Spies On User
Police Scanner, an application for the iPhone, uses analytic software from Pinch Media that tracks personal information and sends it to various parties without your consent.
According to ReadWrite Web, the information that’s gathered and linked is:
”
* iPhone’s unique ID
* iPhone Model
* OS Version
* Application version (in this case, camera zoom 1.x)
* If the application is cracked/pirated
* If your iPhone is jailbroken
* Time & date you start the application
* Time & date you close the application
* Your current latitude & longitude
* Your gender (if Facebook enabled)
* Your birth month (if Facebook enabled)
* Your birth year (if Facebook enabled)
What’s worse is that you’re often never told that the app will be performing this level of detailed tracking and you’re often never given the opportunity to opt-out. The data recorded is continuously tracked every time you use the application. This violation of user privacy is so egregious that the developer even goes so far as to call Pinch Media “iPhone spyware.”
”
The ReadWriteWeb story, linked from The New York Times, is here:
Dear iPhone Users – Your Apps Are Spying on You – NYTimes.com
The list of apps that use Pinch Media analytics is here:
TextBin – Store your text online!
Here is what Police Scanner is said to report:
# Police Scanner – pinchmedia enabled, multiple, serious data leaks, sends ID’s, pirated/jailbreak info and lat & long to multiple 3rd parties
127.0.0.1 data.ps.juicydevelopment.com
127.0.0.1 data.talkradiofinder.com
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Adding to the Apps list that spy on you:
AroundMe, Aussie Rules LIVE, Camera Zoom, Discover, Flick Fishing, iiQuota, Mummy’s Revenge, Police Scanner, Stickwars, The Moron Test, TouchGrind, Touch KO, TwiterFon, FaceFighter, Grunts, SmackTalk, Postman, vDrummer, Wobble, iFarty, iAppUSA, Lonely Planet Guide
Via xsellize