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An iOS app developer has come up with a new way fight piracy - by auto posting a confession to the user's Twitter account. The only problem? It's doing it for paid users too.
Thousands of auto-tweeted posts started appearing in people's Twitter feeds, all with the same "self-confession" message. "How about we all stop using pirated iOS apps? I promise to stop. I really will. #softwarepirateconfession."
While this embarrassment inducing tweet may be an effective, although intrusive, way to prevent piracy, what Japanese app developer Enfour didn't count on was that their anti-piracy feature would start posting the same confession even for users that have paid for the app.
Enfour has since posted an apology, blaming the problem on a "bug" in their range of dictionary apps. An update is now available for Enfour's apps that either eliminates the auto-tweeting feature, or now only does it for those that were using a pirated version for real.
Enfour VP of Communications Tracey Northcott tried to justify the company's initial decision to add this "feature" to their apps on, ironically, Twitter. "Only 25% of our apps in use are legitimate copies. Piracy is threatening the survival of all independent devs, " tweeted Northcott.
This latest gaffe also raises further questions regarding privacy and personal data for iOS apps. Allowing apps to hijack a user's Twitter account may just be a bigger problem than a false shaming from a misbehaving app.
Thousands of auto-tweeted posts started appearing in people's Twitter feeds, all with the same "self-confession" message. "How about we all stop using pirated iOS apps? I promise to stop. I really will. #softwarepirateconfession."
While this embarrassment inducing tweet may be an effective, although intrusive, way to prevent piracy, what Japanese app developer Enfour didn't count on was that their anti-piracy feature would start posting the same confession even for users that have paid for the app.
Enfour has since posted an apology, blaming the problem on a "bug" in their range of dictionary apps. An update is now available for Enfour's apps that either eliminates the auto-tweeting feature, or now only does it for those that were using a pirated version for real.
Enfour VP of Communications Tracey Northcott tried to justify the company's initial decision to add this "feature" to their apps on, ironically, Twitter. "Only 25% of our apps in use are legitimate copies. Piracy is threatening the survival of all independent devs, " tweeted Northcott.
This latest gaffe also raises further questions regarding privacy and personal data for iOS apps. Allowing apps to hijack a user's Twitter account may just be a bigger problem than a false shaming from a misbehaving app.