Tag: china mobile apps

The company has released an official statement explaining that it was sorry for the privacy threat it caused.

A mobile advertising company from China has now issued an apology for having disseminated code that made it possible for hundreds of iOS based apps to access the personal data of their users.

This dissemination of code was in direct violation of the policy of the Apple App Store.

Guangzhou Youmi Mobile Technology Co., the mobile advertising company in question, stated that they were offering their “sincere apologies” after Apple had expressed that the firm’s offerings would all be taken down from the App Store. They were taken down because they were discovered to have been collecting and extracting private user data such as device identification, email addresses and other information.

So far, there have been 256 apps that were taken down as they were in violation of the mobile advertising policy.

Researchers at SourceDNA, an American security company, stated that they had identified 256 different mobile apps that were involved in the practice of collecting personal data in a way that was against the policy of the App Store. Those applications were all created through the use of a software development kit (SDK) that was made by Guangzhou Youmi Mobile Technology.

A statement was released by Apple in which the company explained that the collection of personal data in that way is in direct violation of the privacy and security guidelines at Apple. It also said that any new apps that used Youmi’s SDK would be rejected from now onward if they are ever submitted to the App Store.

Youmi has also said that it is now working with Apple in order to be able to bring resolution to this situation. The mobile advertising company’s statement of apology explained that “For those products that have been temporarily taken down, we will provide reasonable compensation once this matter has been properly resolved.” This makes it look as though reimbursements may not be issued right away, but that when the circumstances are better under control, some compensation will occur for customers who paid for the products.

Appstore could add momentum behind growth of mobile commerce

Early last month, Amazon announced plans to expand its Android Appstore to some 200 countries around the world. China, however, was not on the list of countries that Amazon had plans to expand into. These plans seemed to have changed in just under a month, as Amazon has announced that it has opened its Appstore in China, offering a bevy of applications to Kindle users and those with Android devices.  Amazon’s apparent change of heart may be due to the promising mobile commerce opportunities that exist in China.

China proves to be favorable market for Amazon

China is home to a bustling e-commerce sector. According to Internet Retailer, a market research firm, Amazon’s e-commerce sales in China came in at $8.8 billion in 2012, approximately 5% of the company’s total online sales. Many of these sales came from mobile devices. Mobile commerce has been gaining a great deal of support from Chinese consumers, many of whom have shown strong favor for more convenient ways to pay for products that they are interested in.

Appstore expected to boost brand recognition and loyalty

By opening up its Appstore in China, Amazon is likely to find more traction among the mobile crowd. Consumers will have more access to the company’s products, particularly those designed for Kindle devices. The Appstore is also likely to drive brand recognition and consumer engagement, further solidifying Amazon as the dominating force in online retail in China.

Mobile commerce continues to gain traction around the world

China is just one of Amazon’s favored markets. The company has been showing a growing interest in mobile commerce as consumers around the world become more mobile. This can be seen in Europe and the U.S., as well as China. These markets have served to propel Amazon’s interest in the mobile commerce field, encouraging the company to engage a new generation of mobile-centric business that has begun a strong emergence around the world.