Bitdefender to Relaunch Clueful to Protect Users from iPhone App Privacy Invasion

After exhaustive research and overwhelming feedback, groundbreaking app is off App Store for upgrades

BITDEFENDER HQ, July 18, 2012–Bitdefender’sClueful, the ground-breaking app considered by tech media as a safeguard to iPhone owners’ privacy, has been removed from Apple’s App Store.
Apple informed Bitdefender’s product development team of the removal -for reasons we are studying - after it was approved under the same rules. iPhone owners who already use Clueful privacy may continue to do so.
Clueful was created under the beliefthat iPhone owners should be able tolearn which apps may be behaving unscrupulously with their personal data.The Clueful team reaffirms its commitment to continued development of Clueful and will resubmit to Apple.
During Clueful’s analysis of more than 60,000 popular iOS apps, our team found that:
-    42.5% do not encrypt users’ personal data, even when sending it over public Wi-Fi
-    41.4 percent can track a user’s location
-    Almost one in five of the apps analyzed can accessyour entire Address Book; some even send your information to the cloud without even encrypting it
“While most app developers use this information for legitimate purposes, others might not,” said Bitdefender Chief Security Researcher Catalin Cosoi. “Clueful was the best way for iPhone owners to know the difference. While Clueful remains off the App Store, we are working hard toward understanding why our app was removed and to develop the app to improve its chances of staying there.”
About Bitdefender®

Bitdefender is the creator of one of the world's fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified internet security software.Since 2001, the company has been an industry pioneer, introducing and developing award-winning protection. Today, Bitdefender technology secures the digital experience of around 400 million home and corporate users across the globe.

Recently, the company won a range of key independent recommendations in the US, UK and across Europe, including ConsumerSearch, Stiftung Warentest and Taenk. Bitdefender antivirus technology has also finished top in leading industry tests from both AV Test and AV-Comparatives. More information about Bitdefender's antivirus products is available from the company's security solutions press room.