A new personal privacy feature in iOS 14 has actually exposed a variety of popular apps and raised concerns about clipboard personal privacy. In the video above, I explain why this is concerning, however not something to worry about.
One little function in iOS 14 that Apple didnt highlight on phase has actually been getting a great deal of attention as users have actually begun evaluating the designer beta. Users on Twitter and YouTube have actually noticed that iOS 14 will inform you when an open app accesses your phones clipboard, and it turns out that a startling number of apps read your clipboard each time theyre launched.
TikTok informed The Verge that this was an anti-spam function and that they would be removing it with a future upgrade.
While its worrying to see how many apps have unknowingly been accessing the clipboard, its essential to remember that there are genuine factors for some apps to do so. These are transparent and clear factors for an app to gain access to clipboard details.
When theyre introduced, Ars Technica has assembled a list of over 30 apps that access the clipboard. The most high-profile of these apps is TikTok, which one Twitter user understood was reading his clipboard every few keystrokes.
G/O Media might get a commission
While its concerning to see how numerous apps have unwittingly been accessing the clipboard, its crucial to keep in mind that there are legitimate factors for some apps to do so. The UPS app browses the clipboard for tracking numbers. These are clear and transparent reasons for an app to gain access to clipboard information.
The security issue comes from apps that are accessing this information for unclear factors. Why does the video game PUBG need to read my clipboard each time its released?
Heres to hoping this iOS 14 function will embarassment app developers into being more transparent about why theyre accessing the clipboard and what theyre doing with that information. However for now, the finest thing you can do is simply be careful not to copy sensitive details to the clipboard.
