Analytics helped expose iPad's existence

Flurry is changing its approach to collecting analytics in light of complaints from Apple, says the company's VP of marketing, Peter Farago. Speaking at last night's D8 conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs singled out Flurry as a reason for changing privacy policies. "Some company called Flurry had data on devices that we were using on our campus; new devices," according to Jobs. "They were getting this info by getting developers to put software in their apps that sent info back to this company! So we went through the roof. It's violating our privacy policies, and it's pissing us off! So we said we're only going to allow analytics that don't give our device info; only for the purpose of advertising."

"After we calm down from being pissed off, then we're willing to talk to some of these analytics firms," Jobs added. "But it's not today."

The devices mentioned by Jobs are iPads, some 50 of which were detected on the Apple campus days before the tablet was formally announced in January. As far back as October, devices running iPhone 3.2 had been detected; the firmware was later learned to be iPad-specific.

Farago explains that Flurry has been in touch with Apple, and is taking several steps to assuage concerns. The newest one is an omission of device data from tracking. For several weeks, though, the company has also been engaged in what it calls the "Privacy First Initiative," which involves requirements for apps such as opt-out switches, data deletion buttons and a limit on sharing geolocation data more accurate than a metropolitan area.

by MacNN Staff