If this site is taking you to the App Store, we’re sorry
If you’ve owned an iPhone or Android recently, you’ve likely experienced it.
Heading to a website or a news app, you’re suddenly forced into a download page for a cheesy game — maybe cartoon warfare or virtual poker. Despite Apple’s efforts to combat the problem with a software update last year, it seems to have reared its ugly head again this weekend.
People using iPhonesreported the problem this weekend — some saying it was directing them to download Uber on Sunday — months after its last widespread appearance in March.
Why has it proven so hard to remedy?
Mobile users must depend on their phone’s manufacturer to stop advertisers from forcing redirects without permission, according to TechCrunch.com. Since last year’s iOS 8 update didn’t solve the issue, as TechCrunch reported it aimed to do, there might not be a permanent solution yet.
“Sometimes, there’s nothing the OS makers themselves can even do about the problem, it seems,’’ the site reported.
There is one possible fix for the issue, according to Manuel Egele, a Boston University assistant professor specializing in cyber security—but he told Boston.com that putting it in place would remove some of the iPhone’s user-friendly interface.
“If you load in your browser a specific URL containing something called ITMS … any Apple device will happily open the iTunes music store,’’ Egele said. “It’s not necessarily malicious, but let’s call it questionable business, if not shady business, on the advertiser’s part.’’
Egele says the advertising loophole could be avoided if Apple dropped ITMS from URLs, which would eliminate the ability to open the iTunes store from a browser page. That, however, is unlikely.
“The annoyance factor would go away, but also the convenience factor for things like buying a song you heard on Pandora would go away.’’
Apple and Uber did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the issue, which has affected sites including Boston.com. You can see it in action here.
Famous Harvard alumni:
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