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Both Apple and Google this week told developers that they need to remove X-Mode Social tracking software from all of their apps or risk a ban, reports The Wall Street Journal. Apple and Google are aiming to prevent X-Mode Social from collecting location information from smartphones after it became clear that the company has provided data to U.S. defense contractors.

apple-developer-banner.jpeg

Google is giving developers seven days to remove X-Mode, while Apple told developers that they have two weeks to remove X-Mode trackers from their apps. Apple found that 100 apps made by 30 developers included the X-Mode software.

Last month, Vice published a piece on how X-Mode collects data directly from apps and then sells it to government contractors that then pass it along to the U.S. military. X-Mode pays developers to include its SDK in their apps, and in April, X-Mode's CEO said that it tracks more than 25 million devices in the United States and 40 million elsewhere.

That led to a government investigation into the sale of the data, which in turn led to the Apple and Google ban. X-Mode has since claimed that it is reevaluating its government work and that it has been unfairly singled out because many other companies collect similar data.
"A ban on X-Mode's SDK would have broader ecosystem implications considering X-Mode collects similar mobile app data as most advertising SDKs, and Apple and Google would be setting the precedent that they can determine private enterprises' ability to collect and use mobile app data," the company said.
In a statement, Senator Ron Wyden, who launched an investigation into X-Mode, said that Apple and Google are "doing the right thing."
"Americans are sick of learning about apps selling their location information and other sensitive data to anyone with a checkbook, including to the government," Mr. Wyden said. "Apple and Google deserve credit for doing the right thing and exiling X-Mode Social, the most high-profile tracking company, from their app stores. But there's still far more work to be done to protect Americans' privacy, including rooting out the many other data brokers that are siphoning data from Americans' phones."
Apple is working to cut down on other apps that use the same tracking methods. In iOS 14.3, Apple is implementing a new App Store feature that requires developers to clearly disclose what data is collected from the people who use their apps, and starting next year, apps will also have to get user permission to track people across apps and websites.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple to Ban Apps With X-Mode Tracker That Sells Data to U.S. Defense Contractors
 

R3k

macrumors 68000
Sep 7, 2011
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Apple needs to make fundamental platform changes to stop these things from being possible in the first place. They shouldn't need to suddenly learn that things are happening because other people are finding it.

I'd add Google to the list but they don't even bother to pretend they have a privacy-focused approach.
I find them pretty proactive actually. They lead the industry in the sense. They’ve made privacy part of their brand and it’s damaging and embarrassing to them when issues come to light. I think they do make a lot of effort to keep ahead of if all.
 

gaximus

macrumors 68020
Oct 11, 2011
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I find them pretty proactive actually. They lead the industry in the sense. They’ve made privacy part of their brand and it’s damaging and embarrassing to them when issues come to light. I think they do make a lot of effort to keep ahead of if all.
While lately they have been pushing privacy pretty hard, I would say they are no where close to leading the industry.
 

CarlJ

Contributor
Feb 23, 2004
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San Diego, CA, USA
Apple needs to make fundamental platform changes to stop these things from being possible in the first place. They shouldn't need to suddenly learn that things are happening because other people are finding it.
The problem is, there are legit reasons for accessing all sorts of information under other circumstances, the problem comes from what the developer intends to do with it, outside of the iOS environment. And computers are notoriously bad at divining human intent. So, it requires a lot of manual searching my humans to find this kind of thing.
 

hot-gril

macrumors 68000
Jul 11, 2020
1,924
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Apple needs to make fundamental platform changes to stop these things from being possible in the first place. They shouldn't need to suddenly learn that things are happening because other people are finding it.

I'd add Google to the list but they don't even bother to pretend they have a privacy-focused approach.
Yes, privacy through litigation, auditing, etc don't work. It starts at the source. Apple's move is necessary but not sufficient.

Someone tell me why, to store website logins, I have to also open myself up to being tracked across sites. I mean, I understand how cookies work. They shouldn't work that way.
 

PinkyMacGodess

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Mar 7, 2007
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I was told that by a local state rep. I was so shocked, I was speechless, which for me is rare. I was horrified by the people that agreed with him. It was at a public meeting nearly a decade ago.

Oh, the state rep? He was apparently involved in an 'incident' where he yelled at a number of people, and push a staff member into her chair. People that backed him 'loved' his anger (they called it passion), but his wife divorcing him (physical abuse) and the staff member threatening to sue, he disappeared. He just didn't run again, ironically to 'spend more time with my family'. She divorced him anyway.

NEVER trust a politician...

JakeBarnes12, why the dislike?
 
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Jimmy James

macrumors 603
Oct 26, 2008
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Magicland
I was told that by a local state rep. I was so shocked, I was speechless, which for me is rare. I was horrified by the people that agreed with him. It was at a public meeting nearly a decade ago.

Oh, the state rep? He was apparently involved in an 'incident' where he yelled at a number of people, and push a staff member into her chair. People that backed him 'loved' his anger (they called it passion), but his wife divorcing him (physical abuse) and the staff member threatening to sue, he disappeared. He just didn't run again, ironically to 'spend more time with my family'. She divorced him anyway.

NEVER trust a politician...
Those least deserving of power are most likely to acquire it.
 

PinkyMacGodess

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No one has a list? Is there an IP address they report to? Is there no way to determine what apps are doing this? Not that I'm worried, as I only use probably 4 or 5 of the apps I have on my iDevices, but others are probably clamoring for the names of the apps...
 

SDJim

macrumors 6502a
Aug 4, 2017
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San Diego, CA
X-Mode vs Google: Data tracking agencies are bad!
It's okay if I get raped of my freedoms by a public servant as long as they talk nice to me or only rpe me of freedoms I didn't want any way. But military man is scary, even though he is the only public figure actually protecting me, so he can't have the information that literally every corporation in the world is buying up every day...
 

PinkyMacGodess

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Mar 7, 2007
10,271
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Midwest America.
Those least deserving of power are most likely to acquire it.
Ain't that the truth. And how prescient now. The tea party got people out of the woodwork, and convinced them they were being cheated, and now, look at what's happening.

But the DOD? Siphoning off personal data? Why? I remember hearing about the DOD getting information from 'games' they put online. Marketing? Looking for 'future soldiers'? Future human shields for capitalism? Apparently. I remember the Cheney Iran/Iraq war, and people saying that the spawn of the politicians that thought it such an important war to happen at that time should be the first to serve. Makes sense. Some, a pitiful number, did 'serve'. Far too many didn't.

It's easy to dismiss the 'side effects' of war, if no one that sends people to war ever saw that first hand. (I'm surprised our current occupant hasn't started a bunch of wars, since he tried so hard to avoid seeing what they are like)

I'm not in favor of ANY group, or company, or government entity getting my data. Not that I have anything to hide, but the people that always want to see my data are always the first to block us seeing theirs. Ironic? Nope...
 
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jimbobb24

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Jun 6, 2005
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Govts defense contractors have less impact on elections and the public opinion than google and Facebook. Getting the vapors over this is bizarre. I don’t want any of them tracking me but I have no special fear of govt contractors. Amazon is a govt defense contractor. So are most major universities. So are Ratheon and Boeing and so many other companies. Probably Microsoft, Redhat, and IBM. Big deal nothing special or sinister about them.
 

PinkyMacGodess

Suspended
Mar 7, 2007
10,271
6,227
Midwest America.
It's okay if I get raped of my freedoms by a public servant as long as they talk nice to me or only rpe me of freedoms I didn't want any way. But military man is scary, even though he is the only public figure actually protecting me, so he can't have the information that literally every corporation in the world is buying up every day...
'Military man' IS scary. The DOD should NOT be harvesting data for ANY reason. I can't think of a good reason to allow the DOD's nose under the tent. I can't think of a single reason. None...
 
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