Nick Bradbury elucidates the problem posed by privacy violations, such as those committed by Path.
Repeated privacy violations will force mobile OS vendors to show more warnings, scaring customers away from trying new apps.
A big reason that Apple has been so successful in marketing mobile apps is that people aren’t afraid to use the software. Whether you agree with Apple’s closed app distribution system, the result is an environment largely devoid of the problems that plagued the PC industry.
However, if developers continue to play fast-and-loose with users’ data, then that environment will wilt. People will be inundated with permission prompts, fail to even read what is being asked, and eventually grow tired (or worried) about using mobile applications. The intimate relationship people share with their devices will be irrevocably damaged. Apple should address this - and quickly.