Apple Starts Rejecting Apps That Use UDIDs

POST

MAIL

Posted March 25, 2012 at 4:04pm by iClarified

Apple has started rejecting developer submissions for apps that use UDIDs, according to a TechCrunch report.

Last August, the company had announced that access to the UDID would be phased out but it seems like Apple may be accelerating the process due to increase privacy concerns with iOS.

"Everyone's scrambling to get something into place," said Victor Rubba, chief executive of Fluik, a Canadian developer that makes games like Office Jerk and Plumber Crack. "We're trying to be proactive and we've already moved to an alternative scheme."

The UDID is a unique device identifier and is very important for ad companies and game developers who need a way to distinguish one device from another. Apple wants developers to instead create a unique identifier specific to their app. This of course will not work for those who need to identify devices across apps. ie ad networks, game networks, analytics providers, beta distribution services.

"The UDID is essential for managing the conversion loop," said Jim Payne, who runs a real-time bidding platform for mobile ads called MoPub and was early at leading mobile advertising network AdMob before it sold to Google for $750 million. "All the performance dollars that are spent on mobile are going to impacted by this not being there."

Developers are looking for an alternative to the UDID and Apple has not provided one. Currently, the best choices appear to be the MAC Address or OpenUDID.

Read More

Apple Starts Rejecting Apps That Use UDIDs

Follow iClarified

joyz - March 26, 2012 at 11:22pm

What about retrospective UDID use?? Should cut off ALL access to said identifier! Angry birds developer should be in prison

Reply · Like

Brad - March 26, 2012 at 3:37pm

I don't know if this is good or bad. To me, it seems more like a false sense of security and privacy. I mean, from a privacy viewpoint, of course it seems like a good idea, but two good points were made. First, there are other static "identifiers" that can be used; in the case of the iPhone, you've got a MAC address for wireless, Bluetooth and the radio hardware (cellular data). I don't know if that's what they call the "MEID" or what. Second, like the previous comment, my immediate concern was for apps that actually use this in the proper ways to protect their business model from cheating, such as Shopkick and Viggle, so people aren't "doubling up" on stuff. Even still if many of you remember the whole backlash against the "processor ID" that Intel was doing with their CPU's to allow for distinction and identification of individual CPU's. That fire got put out pretty quickly, and you don't hear about people having to cut off the processor ID flag in the BIOS for their newer generation chips. What did that really accomplish though, in removing that? Not much. Just look to Windows activation for proof. They simply use an enumeration of serial numbers, etc from various other parts of the computer to create a unique hash value to identify machines. This is even LESS of an issue with iDevices, as, unlike PC's... you don't see people upgrading the memory or processor in their iPhone, or their flash memory's read heads crashing and taking out their MP3/AAC collection (yes, an obvious joke, a tribute to ye olden days for those of us old enough to have actually been alive when read heads physically crashing onto the platters was a real occurrence)... Last; I don't mean to be pithy, but just iClarifying (haw haw) this lysdexic little mix-up. Editor meant "apps across devices", rather. "This of course will not work for those who need to identify ((devices across apps))."

Brad - March 26, 2012 at 3:41pm

Hmm. Or maybe I was wrong. Now that I re-read that sentence. It seems backwards upon reading, but if you think further into it, I think it actually may work. Either way that's a mind eff.

Christian Louboutin Replica - April 13, 2012 at 8:14am

Nobody can disregard the existence of Christian Louboutin shoes within style world. It Christian Louboutin Replica

Adil - March 25, 2012 at 7:28pm

Looks like I need to cash in my points for freemyapps.com then!

Munoyza01 - March 26, 2012 at 6:50am

Thx good