Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Microsoft chases antivirus app from Windows Phone Marketplace

Microsoft chases antivirus app from Windows Phone Marketplace

Microsoft has the antivirus app "AVG Security Suite for Windows Mobile
7" from the Market Place, because doubts have arisen on the function and
compliance with data protection regulations. By default, the GPS
tracking is active, which transmits the user's location with a unique ID
to the server of the manufacturer. Although one would expect from an app
that will let the phone find themselves lost, exactly this behavior.
Nevertheless, encounters former Microsoft employee because Justin Angel,
who published his observations on Twitter.

Accordingly, the position of the user together with other personal data
and device data as the serial number of your smartphone after the start
of the app is sent to the manufacturer. In addition, the app seems,
according to the website Within Windows to have little other functions.
So shall the on-demand virus scanner found the app currently only a
"pest" - the totally harmless EICAR test virus.

Brandon Watson, who manages the Microsoft Windows-phone developer,
announced then that the app was removed in favor of a re-examination of
the Marketplace.

According to a statement from the AVG site information was used only for
the theft protection contained in the app. If a cell phone stolen, it
can help with the data stored on the AVG server geo-coordinates are
located. "The customer can decide whether the location should remain
switched on or not, also enter the e-mail address is optional." Says the
manufacturer.

After all, the manufacturer promises, not the data to any third party
nor be used for targeted advertising. "We're not without your consent to
your location data." AVG promises.

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