Apple and its former engineer Cher Scarlett didn’t precisely half on the most effective of phrases, however the firm has publicly thanked them for figuring out a Discover My privateness flaw …

Background – the acrimonious parting

Cher Scarlett was one of many founders of the #AppleToo motion, which sought to focus on administration issues within the firm, together with what had been stated to be unfair pay differentials between women and men.

The organisation additionally stated that many problems with concern raised by staff had been brushed apart by HR.

To date, we’ve acquired practically 500 responses, and lots of of tales of racism, sexism, discrimination, retaliation, bullying, sexual and different types of harassment, and sexual assault that occurred by the hands of a colleague off of campus. The principle thread? Being ignored by HR.

Scarlett additionally assisted retail workers in unionizing efforts, after leaving the corporate.

Discover My privateness flaw

As a part of the launch of macOS Sonoma, Apple listed no fewer than 61 safety fixes. Apple supplied particulars for a few of these, whereas others listed solely the app or characteristic affected, with out going into any particulars.

Considered one of these was Discover My, the place no particulars had been supplied, however Apple thanks its former engineer.

Discover My

We wish to acknowledge Cher Scarlett for his or her help.

Scarlett defined the background to this, thanking safety researchers Mysk for his or her help in confirming the difficulty.

The issue was that whenever you blocked a contact, the individual may nonetheless share their location with you, and they’d seem in your Discover My app. There was no strategy to decline, they only confirmed up. You had to enter the app to take away them.

That will be unhealthy sufficient, as an abuser may repeatedly do that to be able to make a sufferer really feel hassled or intimidated, and there was no strategy to forestall this even though you’d blocked them.

However it was a lot, a lot worse. Merely sharing their location would once more enable them to message you.

Scarlett stated they’ve fought since Might to get Apple to repair this. Though listed as a Mac situation, the privateness situation is now mounted throughout all Apple units.