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China's ad firm Youmi apologizes for data-harvesting APIs used in pulled iOS apps

Chinese mobile advertiser Youmi on Tuesday offered "sincere apologies" for supplying an SDK to developers that contained data-collecting private APIs in violation of App Store rules.

In a statement, Youmi said that it was working with Apple to fix the situation, according to Dow Jones. For developers whose apps were removed from the App Store, the company is also promising "reasonable compensation once this matter has been properly resolved."

Earlier this week, code anayltics firm SourceDNA revealed that Youmi's APIs were collecting information such as email addresses, device identifiers, and lists of installed apps. The data was then uploaded to a remote server. At least 256 apps relied on Youmi's SDK, but Apple has since pulled them and banned future use of the SDK.

SourceDNA suggested that Youmi's activities were intentionally deceptive, with programming tricks evolving over the course of nearly two years to keep the data collection hidden and avoid Apple safeguards.

Apple is typically strict about the code that makes it into App Store titles, but in the past month has had to deal with the YiSpecter and XcodeGhost malware infections, as well as serious vulnerabilities in some content blockers.



27 Comments

anton zuykov 9 Years · 1056 comments

too many of Chinese screwups recently.....at least to my liking.

thewhitefalcon 10 Years · 4444 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anton Zuykov 

too many of Chinese screwups recently.....at least to my liking.


Chinese bad behavior; the screwups are on Apple's end.

darendino 14 Years · 126 comments

Liars, you are ashamed you got caught, just like Chinese eBay sellers who claim to be in the Uk when infact they are in China

wood1208 10 Years · 2938 comments

Don't blame Chinese. Not everyone is like that but anyone part of rising middle class from the decades of very low income where society is driven by image, every unethical means have to be used to come up. So, you just have to be more than vigilant on your side dealing.

lordjohnwhorfin 18 Years · 871 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by wood1208 

Don't blame Chinese. Not everyone is like that but anyone part of rising middle class from the decades of very low income where society is driven by image, every unethical means have to be used to come up. So, you just have to be more than vigilant on your side dealing.


Don't blame the Chinese, they're just untrustworthy liars and thieves -- did I translate that correctly?