While we’re waiting on Apple’s fix for the Group FaceTime bug, the New York State Attorney General announced today that it is launching an investigation into Apple’s “slow response.” This comes after allegations that Apple was first alerted to the eavesdropping flaw earlier this month.
New York Attorney General Letitia James took to Twitter today to say that they’re launching a full investigation into what happened, and why Apple was slow to respond to the issue.
James says that “New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose” when it comes to their privacy and communication rights, looking at how Apple handed the response and will “evaluate their actions in relation to the law.” James has even provided a phone number users can call to send FaceTime related complaints to.
Her justification seems to be that Apple was informed ahead of time on social media, likely citing a tweet from a week ago explaining the situation to Apple.
Fortunately, Apple has since disabled Group FaceTime functionality as a whole, temporarily closing the bug for now. The company says that a software update will be made available later this week that patches the bug.
This breach is a serious threat to the security & privacy of millions of New Yorkers who trusted Apple.
BREAKING: We’re launching an investigation into Apple’s failure to warn consumers about the FaceTime privacy breach & their slow response to addressing the issue.
New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between their private communications & their privacy rights.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) January 30, 2019
Reports indicate Apple was informed more than a week before it was shared across social media.
We must use every tool at our disposal to ensure consumers are protected.
