PopCap Denies iPhone Privacy Allegations

[Andy Chalk]

PopCap Denies iPhone Privacy Allegations

PopCap has denied a Wall Street Journal report that Bejeweled 2 [http://www.popcap.com/promos/iphonebejeweled2/] for the iPhone violates user privacy, calling it "misleading and confusing."

The Wall Street Journal denied [http://blogs.wsj.com/wtk-mobile/] the charge and now casual game behemoth PopCap has joined suit.

"Recent reports on user data and transmissions to third parties for a variety of iPhone applications have been misleading and possibly confusing for PopCap customers," PopCap's Head of Studios Ed Allard told Develop [http://www.develop-online.net/news/36639/PopCap-fires-back-at-misleading-privacy-probe?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+developmag%2Fifbh+%28Develop%29]. He explained that the game transmits user name and password only after owners link the game to their Facebook account, and mobile number only if users set up their Facebook account to authenticate with it.

"The transmission of user name, password and phone number is optional and occurs only after explicit player input through a Facebook login dialog box for Blitz mode," Allard said. "After logging in to Facebook, players can interact with their Facebook account through Bejeweled 2 on their iPhone."

Concerns over privacy on Facebook have been kicking around for years and flared up most recently in October, when the Wall Street Journal revealed that several popular apps, including games like FarmVille, FrontierVille and Texas Hold 'Em Poker were transmitting identifiable user information [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104470-FarmVille-Leaks-Facebook-User-Data-to-the-Internet] to online advertisers and data trackers.


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[Baldr]

Anyone who used that app to access Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook knows it stores your information so you don't have to login every time you want to play. I don't think it is misleading at all. I have the app for my iPod Touch.

 

[Eri]

What's that? Companies may not be using your data responsibly? You see this is why many are paranoid about putting anything about themselves online and to be honest who can blame them

Someone didn't read the article.

 

[cairocat]

I think this is a much smaller issue than the article makes it out to be.

 

[CaptainKoala]

PopCap Denies iPhone Privacy Allegations, no duh!
Its not like they would confirm something like this even if it was true.

 

[samsonguy920]

This smells like some eager beaver journalist jumped the gun without finishing his/her research. S/he may have been on to something but stopped before getting all the facts. If they were onto some actual anti-privacy action, it is pretty easy to surmise that Facebook is the culprit and not the gaming apps themselves which themselves aren't even affiliated with that crappy service.

Trouble is where a rag like WSJ is concerned, articles like this can do serious damage to even the casual behemoth Popcap is.

PopCap Denies iPhone Privacy Allegations, no duh!
It is not like they would confirm something like this even if it was true.

I wouldn't be too sure. If it had been determined that Facebook was being the big leak they would have said, "Sure we do. So what?"
They have before and yet people still get suckered into their scamsite.

Besides, I have my doubts in this case that any antiprivacy acts were actually occuring, short of people hacking into those accounts through the phone services.