Apple has issued a statement regarding reports that some iOS apps have been accessing, transmitting and storing user contact data — such as that in Address Book — without explicit permission.
Reports also note that some apps were uploading users’ Address Book to company servers without telling the user it was happening. No longer, it seems.
“Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told “AllThingsD” (http://macte.ch/eNu0g). “We’re working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.”