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Many Top iPhone Apps Collect Unique Device ID
An anonymous reader writes "It looks like iPhone users are not immune to the types of data leaks recently discovered on the Android platform. Researchers looked at the top free applications available from the App Store and discovered that '68% of these applications were transmitting UDIDs to servers under the application vendor's control each time the application is launched.' The iPhone's Unique Device ID, or UDID, cannot be changed, nor can its transmission be disabled by the user. The full paper is available in PDF form."
No but it enables douchebaggery like LOCKING the app to one device. Which is Against apple's Eula. If I have 2 iphones 1 ipod and 2 ipads on my single apple account I get the app on all those devices for one purchase price. Problem is many app makers are greedy assholes and want to make it only work on ONE device.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
This article is very timely for me. I'm an iPhone developer who's planning to add a server component for some of my iPhone apps. My initial thinking was to simply make use of the built-in UDID since it's there and doesn't require any effort on the part of the user. I did RTFA and I can see how the use of UDIDs could lead to unethical situations.
On the other hand, what's the alternative? Generally speaking, an iPhone app that has a server component with functionality that's geared to a specific user needs something to identify that user. Sure, I could force the user to enter their email address or make up a user id. Unless a user goes to the trouble of making sure that each service/app they deal with uses a separate and distinct user id or email address, you're back in the same situation (or close to it).
I'm genuinely interested in hearing suggestions on the preferred mechanism that helps to maintain privacy.
The UID identifies the iPhone within XCode. It enables things like authentication without passwords for (trivial) applications. For example if I have an app with profiles, and that app is only usable on the iPhone, there is no need for a password or login, I can just use the UID.
Big whoop.
The Generation
I'd say something witty here, but I'm not that bright.
iPhone and Android. Two peas in different pods.
The Internet is not secure.
Your phone company is not your mommy.
Software is more complex than humans can comprehend, and there will be holes in its behavior relative to your expectation, especially but not exclusively when you were not the one who wrote the requirements for it, but especially again when the people writing it want to leave avenues for future revenue growth.
One of my concerns would be that having the UDID allows for more general impersonation. With a hash specific to a particular app the impersonation is limited to your app.
Another concern would be related to personally identifiable information (PII). When non-PII is associated with PII the non-PII now falls under all the PII regulations. If you use a hash you do not have to worry about what others at the university are collecting. Keep in mind that what constitutes an association between non-PII and PII may be defined by a hostile lawyer. Maybe your team's data being on the same server as another team's.
Yeah, I noticed that with Pandora after my friend sold me his old phone (he had it wiped first). I downloaded Pandora and started screwing around with his stations because I thought they were just default stations Pandora gave me. They were basing access on the UDID.