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Apple's iPhone 4 includes a front-facing camera for videoconferencing. A few customers claim the camera is taking random photos when it's supposed to be inactive. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.comA small number of iPhone 4 customers claim that their phone’s front-facing camera is snapping photos of them without their knowledge.
These inadvertently snapped photos later appear on the iPhone screen when they try to initiate a FaceTime videoconferencing call, about a dozen customers said in Apple’s support forums. For instance, one person said that FaceTime showed a picture of her in her office, even though she’d never used FaceTime at work.
The bug freezes the video call, requiring customers to re-try until FaceTime properly loads.
One iPhone owner on Wednesday uploaded a video (below) demonstrating the bug. In the video, the iPhone 4 shows a still shot of the customer after he initiates a FaceTime call.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.*Wired.com staff was not able to replicate the glitch after several attempts on both iOS 4.3 and iOS 4.3.1, the versions of the operating system that reportedly suffer from the problem.
The glitch appears to be affecting a diminutive number of users, but it’s worth noting that Apple’s popular iPhone has fallen victim to several embarrassing security flaws in the past. In two past instances, the iPhone’s security passcode was easily bypassed with a simple button sequence. Security researchers also discovered a memory-corruption bug that would allow a hacker to crash an iPhone with a text message and take control of it.
“Sounds like Apple has a potentially serious privacy leak,” said Jonathan Zdziarski, an iPhone security researcher, regarding customers’ reports of the front-facing camera bug. “I guess the moral of the story is don’t let your iPhone see you naked.”
Wired.com is continuing to look into the issue. If you’re experiencing similar problems or if you’ve found a solution, post in the comments section.
See Also:
- The Secret To Apple's FaceTime Success Will Be The PC
- Porn Industry Aroused by iPhone FaceTime
- Steven Levy on FaceTime and Sharing the View
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