iPhone Games Caught Stealing Phone Numbers?

The fact the iPhone is a veritable wild west for developers can often be a good thing. Then again, when shadier outfits start releasing shadier apps, it can also be a bad thing.

Take iPhone game developer Storm8, for example. A class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco alleges that the company, who are behind iPhone games like World War, iMobsters and Vampires Live, “has written the software for all its games in such a way that it automatically accesses, collects and transmits the wireless telephone number of each iPhone user who downloads any Storm8 game”.

Apparently this number-farming went unannounced until August, when Storm8 finally ‘fessed up, saying it was a “bug”. Michael Turner, the man filing the suit, says “poppycock” to that and is after damages.

iPhone game dev accused of stealing players’ phone numbers [boing boing]