Cleaner, an app that offers “memory optimization, disk cleaning and system monitoring.” The Trend Micro apps removed from the store include: It was discovered that Trend Micro had been using hardcoded strings to extract browser history and identification information, like the user’s operating system and serial number, which was then exported to a server in China. This is a breach of the App Store’s developer policy, which requires apps to obtain user consent before collecting any personal data. The security firm, Trend Micro, Inc., has had several of their anti-malware apps removed from the Mac App Store after they were found to be sending users’ browser history data, which included passwords, to a remote server.
Who could’ve predicted that a security firm would sneakily pilfer your data as well? We already know that Cambridge Analytics violated the privacy of millions of Facebook users and that Google tracks your movements even when you tell it not to. If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s the importance of being careful with who gets your data.
