Apple Rejecting Apps That Access UDID, Developers 'Scramble' To Work Something Out
by Tommy Ly
March 25, 2012
Back in August, Apple began to "deprecate" third-party access to your UDID (Unique Device Identifiter) in iOS 5. Although the change was announced several months ago, developers still need time to make the necessary changes to their apps. As for new apps, Apple's approval team has been rejecting them solely for UDID use.
TechCrunch notes:
But this is the first time Apple has issued outright rejections for using UDIDs. “Everyone’s scrambling to get something into place,” said Victor Rubba, chief executive of Fluik, a Canadian developer that makes games like Office Jerk and Plumber Crack. “We’re trying to be proactive and we’ve already moved to an alternative scheme.” Rubba said he isn’t sending any updates until he sees how the situation shakes out in the next few days.Developers have been aware of this change for quite some time, so it's tough to see how developers are "scrambling" to find a solution to working without UDIDs. While UDIDs can benefit app developers by providing location, settings, and other data to keep track of how users are using their apps, that same data can be used for unforeseen malicious purposes. Unlike cookies, UDIDs can't be deleted or cleared. They're tied to your specific device. You can see why unwanted access to your UDID would be a bad thing. Some data, YOUR data, is just too sensitive to be out there without your knowledge. Do you think Apple is doing the right thing by rejecting apps that access your UDID?
