iPhone and Facebook apps and exploits :: The Future of the Internet

iPhone and Facebook apps and exploits

November 14th, 2008 | by elisabeth | Published in Facebook, Future of the Internet, iphone | 1 Comment

Apple continues to exercise its control over the iPhone platform, recently rejecting an app for using too much bandwidth. CastCatcher was a radio streaming app, which had been approved in several previous versions; the latest update was rejected for violating the TOS provision limiting bandwidth use. The developers are upset—they say the updated version didn’t use more bandwidth than previously-approved versions. This move bodes ill for other streaming radio or video services. It also emphasizes the difference between Apple (with partner AT&T) and a traditional ISP. Comcast, for instance, would love to be able to ban applications that use too much bandwidth.

In other news, the writers and commenters at TechCrunch have been having a lively debate over whether a possible iPhone exploit (possibly allowing developers to update code without approval) is cause for concern. Jason Kincaid notes an interesting issue: on PCs, most users are trained to be wary of new code, and look for assurances of safety before the download applications. But because Apple’s platform is considered safe, people download apps without a second thought. This means that, in the event a malicious app is developed and slips through the imperfect approval process, the damage could be extensive. Apple can always yank back malicious apps once they’re discovered, but by then, the harm could be done.

Another walled garden, Facebook, has also found itself facing malicious code lately—so far, relatively tame. Do Facebook users—who are clearly trusting enough to expose lots of personal information to large networks—expect Facebook to be a safe space, free of malware? And if they discover it’s not, will that reduce their willingness to buy Facebook apps, halting the Web 2.0 party?

—Elisabeth Oppenheimer

Responses

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App Crap Editor says:

November 24th, 2008 at 1:55 am (#)

I have to agree. Facebook is probably not that secure. Having so many different apps doesn’t help. Everytime you add an app you see a disclosure asking are you sure you want to share your info with this app. Who knows who these app developers are, there are thousands of Facebook applications. If there ever was a Facebook virus, how many people would be effected? Millions?

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