SwiftKey Bug Leaked Email Addresses, Phone Numbers To Strangers (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader writes: After many users reported receiving predictions meant for other users, such as email addresses and phone numbers, SwiftKey has suspended part of its service. The service responsible for the bug was SwiftKey's cloud sync service. The Verge reports that one user, an English speaker, was getting someone else's German suggestions, while someone received NSFW porn search suggestions. The Telegraph also reports, "One SwiftKey user, who works in the legal profession and ask to remain anonymous, found out their details had been compromised when a stranger emailed them to say that a brand new phone had suggested their email address when logging into an account online. 'A few days ago, I received an email from a complete stranger asking if I had recently purchased and returned a particular model of mobile phone, adding that not one but two of my email addresses (one personal and one work address) were saved on the phone she had just bought as brand-new,' said the user." SwiftKey released an official statement today about the issue but said that it "did not pose a security issue."

Comments

Re:Why the fuck is this in the cloud?

[ffkom]

Apps are not about creating a reasonable solution to a real problem. Apps are mostly about "lure gullible people into becoming a source of data we can sell or in-app payments".

The cloud strikes again

[Motherfucking Shit]

"Store all your personal data on other peoples' computers," they said. What could possibly go wrong?

Why the cloud anyhow?

[Midnight Thunder]

Does the predictive capability really need a cloud connection? I stopped using SwiftKey as soon as I learnt it needed the Internet to function and thus the risk of sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, leaking. Beyond the privacy concern, the fact I can't use while without a data connection did not reassure.