iOS 6 Apps Now Require Explicit Permission Before Accessing Your Data
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Posted June 14, 2012 at 7:32pm by iClarified
Apple has updated iOS 6 to require explicit user permission before allowing apps access to your contacts, calendars, reminders, location, and photos, reports MacRumors.
--- In addition to location data, the system now asks the user's permission before allowing third-party apps to access certain user data, including: ● Contacts ● Calendars ● Reminders ● Photo Library
For contact, calendar, and reminder data, your app needs to be prepared to be denied access to these items and to adjust its behavior accordingly. If the user has not yet been prompted to allow access, the returned structure is valid but contains no records. If the user has denied access, the app receives a NULL value or no data. If the user grants permission to the app, the system subsequently notifies the app that it needs to reload or revert the data. ---
Apple was widely criticized over privacy concerns when it was discovered that Path was accessing its users entire address book without permission. Following that discovery users began noticing that apps could access photos and other private app areas without permission as well.
That sounds good, and is certainly necessary, but I'm sure it's going to take Cydia a LONG time before they catch up. After all, it took them years before they finally make Cydia 'accessible' something that every other app was required to do. Many of the Cydia apps require access to various data, and no one had ever asked me if that was OK or not. (At least not on an individual basis, you've still got to give them blanket access.)