Apple faces lawsuit over App Store data collection

A new lawsuit filed in the US District Court of Pennsylvania has accused Apple for "flagrant violation of consumer privacy".

As reported by Apple Insider, the plaintiff, Joaquin Serrano, has filed the lawsuit that accuses the Cupertino technology giant of collecting user data without permission.

According to the filing, the lawsuit alleges that Apple continues recording user data on its devices and software even after the user has explicitly opted out of the collection of data.

The filing states that Apple bills privacy as a selling point and promotes settings and features that are built to limit various analytics-led data collection.

The lawsuit is based on research by iOS developers Mysk, who discovered that Apple collects usage data that can be tracked back to you using something known as Directory Services Identifier (DSID), which is a unique identifier linked to Apple ID and iCloud accounts.

Apple's device analysis and privacy statement says that the company does not collect information that can be used to personally identify accounts but the report contradicts that statement with the assertion that DSID can be used to track your App Store browsing habits.

New Findings: 1/6 Apple’s analytics data include an ID called “dsId”. We were able to verify that “dsId” is the “Directory Services Identifier”, an ID that uniquely identifies an iCloud account. Meaning, Apple’s analytics can personally identify you pic.twitter.com/3DSUFwX3nV

— Mysk

The lawsuit accuses Apple on five counts, "the wiretapping and electronic surveillance act violations, the violation of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, an invasion of privacy, a breach of an implied contract, and unjust enrichment."

According to sources close to Apple Insider, the lawsuit's claim of "interception of communication" won't hold any weight in court, neither will the charge against invasion of privacy given the user willingly used Apple devices.

Apple also does not share or sell user information they possess, and one could argue they require that information to provide a better experience to their users.