iOS apps to require user consent for contacts, says Apple

Sponsored links, if any, appear in green.

Apple iPhone 4S

In response to the controversy surrounding the unrestricted access to the iPhone's address book that iOS apps have, Apple said that a future software update for iOS will add a requirement that apps prompt users for permission to access their address books. The company says that the prompt will be similar to the way apps currently have to request permission to access a user's location. Apple did not say when the software update would be available. The controversy started earlier this month when it was revealed that Path, a social networking app, was uploading iOS users' address books and storing the data on Path servers without first asking permission. Path has since changed its app and deleted the stored data, but it was soon revealed that this is common practice among iOS apps.