Apple says they've fixed FaceTime security bug

FaceTime : Illustration
A man uses the FaceTime video call app. Copyright Chesnot Getty Images
Copyright Chesnot Getty Images
By Ben Kesslen with NBC News Tech and Science News
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"We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue," Apple said in a statement to NBC News.

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Apple announced Friday that they've fixed the FaceTime bug that let users hear and see through someone else's iPhone, even if they haven't answered a call.

The problem was tied to the Group FaceTime feature on the tech giant's new software update, iOS 12.1.

"We have fixed the Group FaceTime security bug on Apples servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week," a spokesperson for Apple told NBC News.

Apple said that once they became aware of the bug, they "quickly disabled Group FaceTime and began work on the fix."

The bug was discovered by a teen, Grant Thompson, who along with his mother spent a week trying to alert Apple to the issue. The public learned of the problem when 9to5 Mac reported on the issue.

"We thank the Thompson family for reporting the bug," Apple said in a statement. "We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue."

Despite the fix, Apple is currently facing a lawsuit over the bug. A Houston lawyer sued the company, alleging that before the bug was fixed someone was able to record his private deposition with a client.

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