IOS 9 Promises New Privacy and Security Features

When Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly flogged rivals like Facebook and Google for profiting from the resale and monetization of user privacy data, some industry onlookers wondered whether his words amounted to little more than posturing. However, sources revealed that the upcoming iOS 9 operating system will offer advanced privacy and security features that will actively prevent user data from becoming available to third parties.

The major change in iOS 9 is expected to center on the active prevention of iOS apps from detecting and sharing information about the other apps a user has on his or her smartphone. In the world of mobile device software, many companies are dependent upon data harvested from the apps on a user’s phone; this information allows advertisers to discover crucial information about a user’s lifestyle choices and preferences, facilitating highly targeted and specialized advertising.

In addition, many an iPhone app development company is all too aware of the privacy fears that are pervasive among smartphone users, especially in the light of the NSA leaks championed by Edward Snowden. For its part, Apple has gone on record as having said that they strive for transparency in the face of NSA spying, and that the company plans to submit clear notifications to users when the NSA or other authorized agencies submit data harvesting and monitoring requests.

New York City mobile app developers and smartphone software professionals around the country will want to note that Apple’s iOS 9 is scheduled for a release in the autumn of 2015. Industry analysts believe that iOS 9’s security and privacy features will be a major impediment to advertisers seeking to gain insights through the analysis of user-generated data.