Interesting People mailing list archives
iPhone "Bugging" (was: Re: Apple retroactively removing apps from your iphone/ipod touch when they are removed from the App Store)
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 14:47:02 -0700
________________________________________ From: Lauren Weinstein [lauren () vortex com] Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 5:10 PM To: David Farber Cc: lauren () vortex com Subject: iPhone "Bugging" (was: Re: [IP] Apple retroactively removing apps from your iphone/ipod touch when they are removed from the App Store) Dave, This brings up an iPhone issue that I've had bouncing around for some time. I've had a number of people ask me if the high level of remote programmability apparent in the iPhone makes the device particularly vulnerable to the types of "embedded" cell phone bugging techniques I described back in: http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000213.html I've had to answer that I simply didn't know -- I don't have enough details about the iPhone system architecture to render a solid judgment about this. But in light of the stories floating around, I'd be very interested in the opinions of any iPhone systems experts on this topic. Thanks. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 http://www.pfir.org/lauren Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Co-Founder, NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com - - -
________________________________________ From: Sam Posten [sposten () gmail com] Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 4:24 PM To: David Farber Subject: Apple retroactively removing apps from your iphone/ipod touch when they are removed from the App Store Professor Farber, I have learned of an interesting twist to the Apple iPhone App Store that I havent seen discussed widely and I think many IP readers may no t be aware of, I know I wasnt aware of it myself. According to Terry White, who runs a technology enthusiast web site, when Apple removes an app from the App Store, the next time you sync iTunes will automat ically remove that application from any iPhones or iPod Touches you have it installed on! Even if you paid for it. Even if it is by all accounts legal. E ven if it has no chance of harming other users or the telecommunications infrastructure. And it does this without significant warning. http://terrywhite.com/techblog/?p=753 The context of this story is framed around Netshare, an application that seems legal EXCEPT where it comes to the terms of use of your AT&T TOS. I am not an AT&T subscriber and am not subject to their TOS. While I did not buy Netshare and had no plans to do so, it is conceivable that users like me might use a s imilar application to have an iPod tethered to a laptop to have this device act as a kind of rudimentary firewall, and I'm sure a lot of IP readers who are m uch more saavy about this could come up with a lot more interesting uses. Regardless, it is very disturbing that Apple could do this to my device without my permission. Suppose Apple all of a sudden determined that they did not want to support explicit podcasts or songs any more, wouldnt their be a huge outcry if all of a sudden they started removing these bits off of our devices? It's a terribly slippery slope and if we allow these vendors to take these liberties with OUR property there is no telling how far they will push this capability. Sam ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
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- iPhone "Bugging" (was: Re: Apple retroactively removing apps from your iphone/ipod touch when they are removed from the App Store) David Farber (Aug 06)
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- iPhone "Bugging" (was: Re: Apple retroactively removing apps from your iphone/ipod touch when they are removed from the App Store) David Farber (Aug 06)