I was wondering if anyone encountered this: touching some Mobclix iPhone Ads will start sending SMS messages to the phone. Not only while the app is running, but at any time, even in the middle of the night, no matter if the users answer the SMS or not. SMS just keep coming.
I find this to be extremely annoying to the end user and I will not make my users go through that.
I don’t even know how they get the phone number from my game!
Is anybody experiencing this? Do you see a workaround to avoid ads to send sms messages?
I already contacted Mobclix asking about this but so far I got no response.
If not, I will have to limit myself to iAd, with the revenue cut that signifies.
Thanks!
unlikely actually unless you use software from cydia etc.
On the appstore such applications which use unasked access to your phone number etc were all removed a good year ago (unity iphone 1.5.0 days, as unity 1.5.0 was also hit by the change on some private api detections)
I totally agree it’s very unlikely.
However, I’ve had myself an hour ago one iPhone, original, non-jailbroken, iOS 4.02, and if I clicked on an ad in my app, I instantly got two SMS messages.
That iPhone doesn’t even have the phone number registered in the settings.
It is extremely strange. Let’s see what Mobclix has to say about it.
I would actually go a step further and that as soon as possible: report it to apple so its officially looked into and that with some major laywer pressure if required
sounds a lot like something is illegally going through the adress book or something alike
This is the answer I got from Mobclix:
“I took me a bit of time to track down the ad network sending this SMS ad which was MdotM and they have confirmed that it has been removed from serving on your application.”
So, I get the impression something illegal is going on in there.
I’ll report it to Apple right away.
Reported.
I’ll keep this post updated if I get any response from them.
This is definitely a huge security breach.
If its really the case that they got the information without requesting from you in some form, definitely …
and it would be the second major hit for mobclix in no time, after the adtini fiasco
I’ve been considering Mobclix for the near future. I’m not worried by the adtini episode as it seems adtini were the problem, not Mobclix.
In this case I am worried. MdotM were in the wrong. But Mobclix should have told MdotM to remove the SMS from all applications, not just yours. This doesn’t do much for my confidence in them.
I agree.
I’ll follow this up with Apple to see what responses I get from them, and I’ll try to follow this with Mobclix as well, since this is a major security issue and could definitely bring a company image down.
If my app does this, for the user, it’s not mobclix, it’s my app.
Some additional news.
My users verified they were charged for the SMS they were receiving. The phone company claims since they are not the ones sending the messages, there’s nothing they can do.
This is extremely annoying. I’m communicating this to Mobclix to see what they say about this.
I’m extremely disappointed with this and leaning more and more to just using iAds.
Ten days after the previous reply, this issue is still happening.
I have again, contacted Mobclix regarding this, but I don’t think we can keeo using it.
It’s a real shame, but it is our image on the line when users start getting charged fir these unwanted SMS, and not Mobclix.
Our game is live now and we just can’t risk these issues.
why would they be charged for receiving SMS?
Or is that common over there (its not here in europe, you pay for sending only)
None the less its annoying to get them and its inacceptable that mobclix or some part of it is getting it without your and additionally the users ok.
If users were to report that to apple it could actually cause your app to be removed until its fixed so inacceptable and understandable you dislike it.
Its kind of strange how many inacceptable things happened to mobclix the past 6 weeks and how they try to get out of it … their network used to be that great but its getting a damned junkyard of all a**hole PR agencies