Apple has been sued yet again over the alleged sharing of Unique Device Identifiers (UDIDs) and user information, according to an InformationWeek report. The suit, filed in San Jose, CA by Alameda resident Anthony Chiu, claims that Apple knowingly transmits to third parties, without user knowledge or consent, data which could be used to identify individual users. In addition to Apple, the suit also names 50 “John Doe” defendants, leaving open the possibility that some third-party developers could also be added to the suit. “Consequently, anyone who has used a mobile device to browse the Internet to obtain advice about hemorrhoids, sexually transmitted disease, abortion, drug rehabilitation, or care for the elderly; to search for jobs, seek out new romantic partners, engage in political activity; in fact, to do more or less anything; can be reasonably sure that the browsing history created by such investigation has been incorporated into a detailed dossier for sale to marketers,” reads the complaint. Apple was targeted in a pair of similar complaints filed in December following the publication of a Wall Street Journal article which claimed that some apps shared personal information without consent.
Charles Starrett was a senior editor at iLounge. He's been covering the iPod, iPhone, and iPad since their inception. He has written numerous articles and reviews, and his work has been featured in multiple publications.