iOS 7 apps will have to ask user permission before tapping into a microphone, users of the developer beta say. Short of a theoretical backdoor, the barrier should prevent apps from recording a person without their consent. If it follows in the steps of Apple’s normal approach to privacy, users should only be asked once per app.
iOS 6 apps currently ask permission for things like location data and contacts. Apple has come under increasing scrutiny for its privacy practices, facing both lawsuits and political questioning. Most recently, the company was implicated as participating in the National Security Agency’s PRISM program.
