DEAF EARS

Kid Tried to Warn Apple About FaceTime Bug

The 14-year-old boy’s mother reached out to Apple multiple times last week with no response.

An Apple bug that allowed callers to listen in on unsuspecting participants of group FaceTime calls was discovered last week by a teenage boy, days before the company addressed the glitch. The 14-year-old even tried to warn Apple about the bug by contacting Apple Support, but his discovery reportedly fell on deaf ears. On Jan. 20, Twitter user @MGT7500, who was identified by The Wall Street Journal as Michele Thompson, a lawyer from Arizona, tweeted at Apple’s Support page and alerted media outlets to the bug. “My teen found a major security flaw in Apple’s new iOS. He can listen in to your iPhone/iPad without your approval,” Thompson wrote. “I have video. Submitted bug report to @AppleSupport... waiting to hear back to provide details. Scary stuff! ...” When she got no response, Thompson followed-up and sent a formal notice to the company on Jan. 25 alerting them of the bug. “I have reached out to Apple Support and not heard anything back...” Thompson wrote. “... I am sure you receive many emails of this nature, but this is a huge issue that I have personally verified.” After news of the bug went viral, Apple quickly disabled group FaceTime. The company declined to comment when USA Today asked about Thompson’s attempts to contact the company. 

FLY ON THE WALL

Reports: FaceTime Bug Lets You Listen in on Those You Call