‘Uber app had permission for screen recording in iOS’

The Uber app in iOS had the ability to take screenshots, a feature no other third-party app could do. Uber says it has never used the API and is removing it.

The undocumented feature makes it possible to take screenshots even when the app is closed. The permission pertains to com.apple.private.allow-explicit-graphics-priority, which allows developers to read and write to an iOS device’s framebuffer, which contains data about the rendering.

According to security researcher Will Strafach, one of the explorers of the code, Uber is known to be the only party other than Apple that has permission to access the screen recording feature. Uber responds to ZDNet by stating that the code was used to improve rendering on the Apple Watch app, but is no longer connected to other features in the codebase.

The api would make it possible to render floor plans on the iPhone or iPad in the background and then send them to the Apple Watch. Uber is already working with Apple to remove the code. It is not known why Apple would have granted Uber permission; in the past, Apple has reprimanded Uber for violating its privacy rules.