A new incident involving large technology companies and the privacy of their users has been reported. According to website security specialists, Apple faces a class-action lawsuit for the illegal and intentional disclosure of iTunes users’ information with third parties.
The plaintiffs claim that Apple has been sharing iTunes user data without their express consent; this information could include data such as user name, age, location details, and history of musical preferences on the platform. The lawsuit was filed by three U.S. citizens.
In the lawsuit it is claimed that Apple sells a set of data belonging to a thousand people for about $130 USD. “A company could request a list of information from all single women, older than 70 years, with university studies and minimum income of $80k USD per year that listen to country music on iTunes, for example”, is mentioned in the lawsuit.
This practice could lead to unpleasant consequences for iTunes users, such as too-invasive marketing campaigns, say website security specialists. Moreover, third-party intervention could further complicate the situation, as these third parties could re-sell the information to other third party companies to generate more profits.
Claimants represent all iTunes users in the states of Rhode Island and Michigan. In the first state, plaintiffs demand compensation of $250 USD for each affected user, while in Michigan, claimants demand $5k USD for each user’s damage compensation.
The lawsuit also mentions that the company provided access to the music history of iTunes users through their developer tools without the need for users to authorize access. Apple corrected this error in its operating system iOS 10 until eight months later.
Apple, which has tried to present itself as a company committed to the security and privacy of its users, does not yet make a single statement regarding this incident, according to website security specialists from the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS).
In recent days, the company announced the launch of a new tool that allows tracking an online ad without intruding on the privacy of users.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
