The creators of social sharing app Path came under fire when it was discovered that the app was uploading users' address books to the company's own servers without disclosure — a revelation that even got Apple CEO Tim Cook involved. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Path co-founder Dave Morin was directly questioned by Cook and several other Apple executives at the company's Cupertino headquarters after the issue came to light. Path later apologized for the behavior, deleting the data and releasing a software update that stopped the practice, but not before it was discovered that several other iOS apps had been doing the same.
The developments have brought additional criticism to Apple's App Store policies; by curating the selection of titles, Apple has created an environment where customers feel comfortable purchasing software — and to great success. However, the company also takes the blame when problems arise. The New York Times took a recent look at fraud in the App Store, with some users finding themselves charged for in-app purchases to games they themselves have never downloaded, and third-party companies even selling the ability to game the service's most-downloaded lists. To its credit, Apple began cracking down on developers engaging in the latter practice earlier this year, and with Cook himself getting involved its clear the company recognizes the importance of these issues. Still, with the new iPad finally arriving, there will be more users — and even more eyes — on the App Store then ever before.