Reddit has also been caught snooping on user’s clipboards in iOS 14
- jul
- 06
Reddit is the latest app to get caught snooping on the clipboard in iOS 14.
What you need to know
- The Reddit app has been caught snooping on users' clipboard content.
- It is the latest in a series of apps to be caught copying data from the clipboard.
- Reddit says that the behavior is unintended and will be removed in an update.
Yet another app has been caught snooping on users' clipboard contents in the iOS 14 beta.
Twitter user DonCubed, who also reported the same behavior with the LinkedIn app, found that the Reddit app was copying the contents of a user's clipboard on every keystroke.
"UPDATE: Seems like Reddit is capturing the clipboard on each keystroke as well ?. Seeing the notification come up just as much."
UPDATE: Seems like Reddit is capturing the clipboard on each keystroke as well ?
— Don ???? urspace.io (@DonCubed) July 2, 2020
Seeing the notification come up just as much. pic.twitter.com/nzbElmRG2a
In an email to The Verge, a spokesperson from Reddit says the behavior is unintended and that the company does not store or send the contents that they've copied anywhere. Regardless, they are removing the behavior from the app in an update that will be released to the public on July 14th.
"We tracked this down to a codepath in the post composer that checks for URLs in the pasteboard and then suggests a post title based on the text contents of the URL ... We do not store or send the pasteboard contents. We removed this code and are releasing the fix on July 14th."
Reddit has joined two other high profile apps, LinkedIn and TikTok, in receiving backlash about its clipboard snooping practices. While it appears that many apps are engaging in the behavior due to simple coding issues, all will most likely face public scrutiny over the practice due to its appearance of invading user's privacy.