One OS

For those who don't know, OS is a simple acronym for "Operating System" (aka Windows, Android, Max OS, iOS, Lynix). That being said, every electronic device that you own with a screen uses and OS, it defines the graphical interface that you will be using while interacting on your device.

The Past

In the past we have had just a couple of operating systems, and they were all pretty much designed for a computer or laptop. Windows and Apple are the two main operating systems that have always been used. Not too long ago something new has came into our world, smart-phones and tablets, so other OS's have been developed for specific use on touchscreen devices. (these would be Android OS, iOS, WebOS). So basically, you have an OS for computers/laptops (Mac OS), and one for touchscreen devices such as smart-phones and tablets (iOS). 

The Present

We live in a time where the two types of Operating Systems have begun to merge. People are buying more and more smart-phones and tablets. The Apple iPad was the most sought after device this Christmas season. With more and more people buying tablets instead of a laptop we have needed a way to have better communication and file transfer between our electronic devices. Right now things are changing and the new operating systems that are emerging have begun to merge the two. The goal is ONE OS. One operating system for all your devices. Your tablet, your laptop, and your smart-phone.

HP's WebOS is what started the revolution. They developed their operating system to exchange data seamlessly between your tablet and smart-phone. HP made it easy to jump between the two devices by automatically forwarding calls/text to your tablet while your smart-phone was not in use or charging. It also made it possible for you to easily jump to where you were when changing between the two devices by simply bumping the two devices together. Lets say that you are viewing a website on your tablet, but you are on your way out the door. The solution: bump your tablet and smart-phone together and you will magically be on the same website on your smartphone that you were viewing on your tablet.

WebOS has caused both Windows and Apple to think harder on the future of their operating system. They too have realized that they need to bridge the gab between electronic devices and create one OS. Windows announced a while back that they were in the process of developing Windows 8, which will be the first mainstream operating system for both Tablets and Laptops/Pc's. They may even release a version for their Windows Phones in the future.

Today, Mac announced their new operating system that will be released this summer, Mountain Lion. Their new operating system will incorporate many things that the iPad already does, such as iMessage, Notification Center, Task List, Memo's, and the iCloud. All of your Apple devices will be able to communicate with each other, and when you buy a new Mac, you just log in to it with your iCloud credentials and it will automatically configure your e-mail and other settings. Another huge step towards ONE OS.

The Future

The future of the operating system is not too far distant. This year Windows 8 will be released, so Windows users can rest content that their devices will no longer have multiple operating systems, making use much more convenient. Apple is beginning to merge the gap as well, and I'm quite sure that we are coming to the end of Mac OS X, which is now 11 years old. Every year Apple has taken the Mac OS X and just revamped it.

The Apple with a Wormhole

Congress sent Apple a letter this week demanding answers. Why? Because your iPhone has a security flaw that allows apps to steal your entire address book and send it to other companies. Some of the known apps that do this are Path and Facebook. It is so easy these days to steal information from people, it's just one of the major issues with our digital age. We need to up the security to protect our information and our identity. We trust companies by sending confidential information in an e-mail, text message, and storing it on our computers and phones. I personally feel violated that Apple's flawed code allowed for companies to steal my private info. Shame on you Apple, shame on you.

If you are interested in the details of the letter, I have included it in its entirety below. Enjoy :)

Mr. Tim Cook
Chief Executive Officer, Apple Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014

Dear Mr. Cook:

Last week, independent iOS app developer Arun Thampi blogged about his discovery that the social networking app "Path" was accessing and collecting the contents of his iPhone address book without ever having asked for his consent.[1] The information taken without his permission – or that of the individual contacts who own that information – included full names, phone numbers, and email addresses.[2] Following media coverage of Mr. Thampi's discovery, Path's Co-Founder and CEO Dave Morin quickly apologized, promised to delete from Path's servers all data it had taken from its users' address books, and announced the release of a new version of Path that would prompt users to opt in to sharing their address book contacts.[3]

This incident raises questions about whether Apple's iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts.

The data management section of your iOS developer website states: "iOS has a comprehensive collection of tools and frameworks for storing, accessing, and sharing data. . . . iOS apps even have access to a device's global data such as contacts in the Address Book, and photos in the Photo Library."[4]The app store review guidelines section states: "We review every app on the App Store based on a set of technical, content, and design criteria. This review criteria is now available to you in the App Store Review Guidelines."[5] This same section indicates that the guidelines are available only to registered members of the iOS Developer Program.[6] However, tech blogs following the Path controversy indicate that the iOS App Guidelines require apps to get a user's permission before "transmit[ting] data about a user".[7]

In spite of this guidance, claims have been made that "there's a quiet understanding among many iOS app developers that it is acceptable to send a user's entire address book, without their permission, to remote servers and then store it for future reference. It's common practice, and many companies likely have your address book stored in their database."[8] One blogger claims to have conducted a survey of developers of popular iOS apps and found that 13 of 15 had a "contacts database with millions of records" – with one claiming to have a database containing "Mark Zuckerberg's cell phone number, Larry Ellison's home phone number and Bill Gates' cell phone number."[9]

The fact that the previous version of Path was able to gain approval for distribution through the Apple iTunes Store despite taking the contents of users' address books without their permission suggests that there could be some truth to these claims. To more fully understand and assess these claims, we are requesting that you respond to the following questions:

- Please describe all iOS App Guidelines that concern criteria related to the privacy and security of data that will be accessed or transmitted by an app.

- Please describe how you determine whether an app meets those criteria.

- What data do you consider to be "data about a user" that is subject to the requirement that the app obtain the user's consent before it is transmitted?

- To the extent not addressed in the response to question 2, please describe how you determine whether an app will transmit "data about a user" and whether the consent requirement has been met.

- How many iOS apps in the U.S. iTunes Store transmit "data about a user"?

- Do you consider the contents of the address book to be "data about a user"?

- Do you consider the contents of the address book to be data of the contact? If not, please explain why not. Please explain how you protect the privacy and security interests of that contact in his or her information.

- How many iOS apps in the U.S. iTunes Store transmit information from the address book? How many of those ask for the user's consent before transmitting their contacts' information?

- You have built into your devices the ability to turn off in one place the transmission of location information entirely or on an app-by-app basis. Please explain why you have not done the same for address book information.

Please provide the information requested no later than February 29, 2012. If you have any questions regarding this request, you can contact Felipe Mendoza with the Energy and Commerce Committee Staff at 202-226-3400.

Sincerely,

Henry A. Waxman, Ranking Member
G.K. Butterfield, Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trad