Apple rejected Kakaotalk's updates

In past Jan. 31, Apple's Appstore rejected the applying for updates from several mobile messenger Apps like as Kakaotalk. Reportedly Apple detailed that Appstore will not allow anymore such an Apps which uses identification verifying via phone number and collects phone numbers of the third parties in user's cellphone. "At least the messenger Apps must stay back in same line of iMessage's level", said a related person of Apple. Accordingly the industry of mobile messenger service is embarrassed on this sudden reinforcing of guideline which is the article number 17 in "App Store Guideline". "The identification verifying process seems to be able to compromise as make sure user with agreement, but the preventing use of the third party's information could not be resolved at existing product architecture. Obviously present messenger is serving under user's agreement of using his(her) contact information.", said a person in charge of related industry.

The flow of ID verifying and adding contacts in present mobile messenger.
(1) Download Apps and install
(2) Identification verifying through registered phone number
(3) Transferring contacts information of user to service provider
(4) Messenger recommends user's friend after analysis

In this flow, Apple is escalating the privacy issue on (2)nd and (3)rd process.

This kinda mess should be happened infinitely as long as Apple makes a bundle into iOS with market verified third party Apps.

KakaoTalk Jail

Suddenly the online community starts to talk about “KakaoTalk Jail” because of a post of “Trapped in KakoTalk Jail” in user community board in last 7th day. This “KakaoTalk Jail” means a person who was invited and attended in a group chatting room is not able to escape from that chatting room, and also named as “KakaoTalk prison”, “KakaoTalk hell”.

The guy of this post wrote about “KakaoTalk Jail”, “About 120 people was trapped in that chatting room and no response to release yelling. The host just says that he is inviting people with random ID and cellphone number. I am under mental stress due to notice messages and battery drain”.

This post is spreading quickly to wide online communities and sharing similar experiences of netizens. But the problem is there are no legal actions to stop them. Netizens’s voice increase that “A lot of people write messenger is as clear sanctions need a way to think," "It is not a matter of a joke, Kakaotalk should be upgraded to stop making victims.”


[Link] http://www.kakao.com/talk/en