Blackberry Removes Four Apps from Store for Privacy Infringement

Four third-party applications were removed yesterday from BlackBerry World over privacy concerns.

According to a note from the phone manufacturer, the four applications were not malicious, but “forgot” to inform the user that they were uploading the user`s contact list, network identifiers, device identifiers, and the smartphone location to the application vendor`s server.

The applications in question include WhozCalling (which provides caller ID services), WhozCalling – Meego – a variant of the app that also provides name directory information, 5Index and SuperSMS. All four applications were created by developer InMobiles.

The decision to yank the apps from BlackBerry World came after the company`s Security Incident Response Team deemed they didn`t comply with the App World Vendor Guidelines.

“BlackBerry recommends that customers who have downloaded any of the listed Vendor Apps use the information included in this privacy notice to determine whether or not to remove the App(s) from their smartphones,” reads the note on the Knowledge Base site.