Apple's iOS8 will keep away marketers and e-retailers trying to track online activities on iPhones and iPads .
Apple's iOS8, which debuted last week, is unfolding several hidden features for iPhones and iPads. The latest revelation is of most importance to the privacy advocates who want to limit access of their location while using their mobile devices. Security expert Frederic Jacobs found out that the iOS8 automatically randomizes MAC addresses while scanning for Wi-Fi networks, preventing marketers from gathering users' personal information.
When a user scans for free Wi-Fi access at public places such as airports, malls and coffee shops, it sends out a MAC address that contains an identifier unique to each device. With that info, companies can learn details such as the phone make and also if he or she is a repeat customers at a certain store. Learning by their interests, marketers recommend deals that may be of user's interest.
The slight change in the iOS8, first reported by Jacobs on Twitter, Sunday, automatically randomizes the MAC addresses. While the security programmer hopes this becomes a standard across all platforms, it is unclear whether the feature will be adopted by other mobile operating systems such as Android and Windows Phone.
iOS 8 randomises the MAC address while scanning for WiFi networks. Hoping that this becomes an industry standard. pic.twitter.com/oGsZMtydUo
— Frederic Jacobs (@FredericJacobs) June 8, 2014
Though it seems Apple is keeping away companies trying to gather personal info about a user, Gizmodo points out that it is looking after its own interests too by strengthening its own location-aware Bluetooth notification project, iBeacon.
In addition to the MAC randomizer, iOS8 will also feature a new credit card scanning feature within Safari browser. According to 9to5Mac, the new feature will use iPhone's camera to scan the credit card number when prompted by a website during online transactions. Users can simply tap the "Scan Credit Card" button and store the details for future purchases.
It's just been a week that Apple launched the iOS8 for developers enrolled in the public-beta program and it is likely we will see more features unravel ahead of the OS release this fall.
