One in five iOS apps can access a user's entire address book, while 41.4% of apps can track a user's location without their consent.
This is according to the findings of security firm Bitdefender, which analysed 60 000 popular iOS apps. Its research showed that 42.5% of iOS apps do not encrypt users' personal data, even when sending it over public WiFi.
Bitdefender released its findings after its app 'Clueful', which was designed to safeguard iOS users' privacy by identifying apps that may be behaving “unscrupulously” with personal data, was removed from the App Store.
“Apple informed Bitdefender's product development team of the removal - for reasons we are studying - after it was approved under the same rules. iPhone owners who already use Clueful privacy may continue to do so,” says Bitdefender.
Chief security researcher for Bitdefender Catalin Cosoi says: “While most app developers use this information for legitimate purposes, others might not.
“Clueful was the best way for iPhone owners to know the difference. While Clueful remains off the App Store, we are working hard toward understanding why our app was removed and to develop the app to improve its chances of staying there.”
Apple's iOS platform was at the centre of the Address-Book-gate saga earlier this year, when apps such as Path, Instagram, Hipster, Yelp, FourSquare and Twitter (among many others) were outed for accessing and storing users' address books without express permission.
As a result of the controversy, Apple came under fire for allowing developers too much access to user information. Apple eventually took a stand on the issue and announced that in iOS 6, any app wishing to access contact data, location or even the user's camera roll will require user approval.
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