Apple hurries to fix FaceTime eavesdropping glitch

Apple had to disable some functions of its FaceTime app while it tries to solve a glitch that allowed users to tap into the microphone and camera of the people they were calling without the recipient accepting the call.

The bug, which was first reported by 9to5Mac, would automatically connect the microphone and camera of the recipient if they pressed the power button to silence or ignore a call.

A spokesman for Apple said that a fix will be released later this week.

Just hours before the bug was revealed, Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive tweeted on dire need for privacy protections.

“We must keep fighting for the kind of world we want to live in. On this #DataPrivacyDay let us all insist on action and reform for vital privacy protections. The dangers are real and the consequences are too important,” he said.

Apple will present its quarterly results on Tuesday and it is expected that it will not fare well after it said earlier this month that first-quarter sales, which includes the holiday season, would be lower than anticipated, in large part because of a slowdown in the Chinese economy.