Unfortunately, Adware Doctor was just the tip of the iceberg. via search engine or medical site queries), sexual preferences (e.g. via the types of dating sites visited), and a multitude of other things that should not be freely available to an app developer without obtaining the user’s explicit consent. via Google Maps searches), medical conditions (e.g. It may reveal things such as home and work addresses (e.g. Often it can contain personally identifiable information, or strong clues as to the exact identity of the user. Web browsing history can contain very private, personal, or sensitive information. Another researcher, Thomas Reed, notes in a follow-up article that one could argue that a malware or adware cleaning app might want to check recently browsed sites in an attempt to identify and report back about the source of an infection however, the user is never informed about or asked to consent to this activity, which takes place surreptitiously in the background-even when no adware is found on the system.

Privacy 1st and Wardle discovered that Adware Doctor-which recently achieved App Store stardom as #1 in Top Paid Utilities and #4 in Top Paid Apps-was stealing users’ browsing history and more. Privacy 1st reached out to a Mac security researcher, Patrick Wardle, who did further investigation of his own. Last Friday, a few Mac security researchers independently published their findings regarding a number of Mac App Store apps that employ questionable tactics, violate Apple’s guidelines, and spy on victims’ computer activity.Ī Twitter user going by the name “Privacy 1st” ( recently found some suspicious behavior in a popular App Store app, called Adware Doctor (full App Store title: “ Adware Doctor:Anti Malware &Ad“) and began tweeting about it. So then, just how safe is the Mac App Store? And what should Mac users do? Multiple Independent Sources Find Privacy-Violating Apps Many apps have recently been caught doing unscrupulous things, circumventing protections supposedly provided by the App Store, and invading users’ privacy. Lo and behold, new information has come to light that calls into question the safety of the App Store platform. Together, Apple’s app review process and sandboxing theoretically make the App Store a more trustworthy software source than most. Security professionals often advise users that Apple’s Mac App Store is one of the safest places to download apps.Īfter all, Apple has a review process that’s supposed to help prevent potentially harmful apps from ever being published. Additionally, App Store apps are sandboxed, which is supposed to limit apps’ ability to engage in undesirable behavior. Recommended + Security & Privacy + Software & Apps How safe is the Mac App Store? Privacy-violating apps uncovered

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