Path Controversy Renews Social Media Privacy Debate

February 8th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

For users of the social network Path, a recent discovery is causing a lot of concern about privacy. A developer working on a Mac OS X version of the mobile app found out that Path, once installed, will send a user’s entire address book to Path’s servers — without telling the user.

Like many privacy issues, the news spread quickly over the Internet. Path CEO Dave Morin replied to the developer, Arun Thampi, saying that the issue was “an important conversation” that Path took very seriously. The contact information that’s uploaded to the company’s servers is only used to help a user find friends and family quickly, Morin said.

He further explained that Path has an opt-in for its Android app, and that one would be added to the iOS version as soon as Apple approves it.

Of course, that wasn’t the end of things. A commenter on Thampi’s original post pointed out that Path needn’t upload an entire address book to find a user’s contacts. Matt Gemmell suggested that the app could analyze a user’s address book locally on the phone itself, only uploading data essential to identifying friends on the network. Morin replied saying it was a good idea.

When asked why the app wasn’t opt-in in the first place, Morin deflected, saying that Apple’s App Store guidelines “do not specifically discuss contact information.” Another commenter disagreed, saying that Path, without the opt-in, violates section 17.1 of the guidelines, which read:

Apps cannot transmit data about a user without obtaining the user’s prior permission and providing the user with access to information about how and where the data will be used

In addition, a commenter on The Verge pointed out that Path’s practice of uploading address-book information appears to be at odds with its own privacy policy, which states that the app collects only information users voluntarily provide, and does not include a user’s address book in a list of information types it collects.

Although the wording is opaque, it could be argued a user agrees to provide that information just by installing the app, and the list of information collected doesn’t appear to be comprehensive. Once all versions of the app become opt-in, it’ll be more in line with the policy.

Regardless of Path’s fix, many users have left negative reviews on Path’s App Store page in the past 24 hours, with some promising to delete the app. “Privacy invasion” and “shame on Path” are typical comments and reviews, most giving the app just one star (out of five).

Reps for Path didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

What do you think of Path’s privacy mess? Is it much ado about nothing, or is it seriously violating its users’ trust? Have your say in the comments.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

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