Path releases update to address contact privacy issue

In response to the recent revelation that social networking app Path was uploading iOS users’ contact data to its servers, the company has apologized and released an update to the iOS app providing proper disclosure of the feature and prompting the user to either opt in or opt out. Path had originally implemented this feature to provide more accurate friend suggestions and notify users when somebody in their address book joined the social network. However, the feature originally silently uploaded the user’s entire contact list to Path’s servers without requesting any permission or even notifying the user that this was occurring. Path co-founder and CEO Dave Morin apologized today in a statement on the company’s blog:

We care deeply about your privacy and about creating a trusted place for you to share life with your close friends and family. As we continue to expand and grow we will make some mistakes along the way. We commit to you that we will continue to be transparent and always serve you, our users, first.

Morin also indicated that the company has deleted its entire collection of user-uploaded contact information from its servers, and users will now need to specifically opt into the feature in the new version of the Path application to re-upload their contact information. Further, users who opt-in and later change their mind can request that their content be deleted by sending an e-mail to Path. The latest update, Path 2.0.6 is available from the App Store as a free download.