18.6% Of Apps Collect User’s Address Book Data And 41% Track Location

Today security company BitDefender published a report (via MobileEntertainment) that highlights the importance of adopting Apple’s data isolation policy in iOS 6.

Starting with the iOS 6 release this fall, apps that need access to personal data (reminders, photos, contacts, calendars etc.) will have to ask users to allow them use such data. However, according to BitDefender, now about 18.6% of 65,000 apps for iPhone that was included in the study can access data in a user’s address book, while 41% of them can track location. The company also revealed that only 57.7% of apps encrypt user’s personal data.

Earlier this year in response to protest from different government bodies and consumer groups, Apple promised to adopt stricter policy for app developers requesting access to user's private data. Many apps, such as Instagram and Path, have already implemented such notifications on their own.