iPhone 5s Features, Specs, News: Fingerprint Scanner Won't Store Images, Apple Says Amid Privacy Concerns
Does the new iPhone's fingerprint sensor improve security by limiting the people who can access it? Or, on the contrary, does it raise concerns that a person's fingerprint could be leaked to companies and third parties?
In the last few days, it depended on who you were talking to. But today, Apple seemed to have put consumers at ease by announcing, through a company spokesperson, that the fingerprint will not be stored.
In an article for The Wall Street Journal, Danny Yadron and Ian Sherr said that Apple's new Touch ID system only stores "fingerprint data" encrypted in the iPhone's processor. Even if someone cracks this encryption, they still would not be unable to access the fingerprint.
Apple even added some special features to the fingerprint sensor with hackers in mind. The company has set the phones so that only a 4-digit code can access the phone after being left alone for at least 48 hours. This prevents the ability for a hacker to put the phone away until they find a way to break into the fingerprint sensor. The scary thing is that this sounds like Apple's way of admitting that the fingerprint sensor isn't proven to be invincible after all.
But just as soon as that issue was seemingly solved, another has been brought up. Apple testers found that the fingerprint sensor tends to have difficulties when a person's finger is wet with lotion, sweat, and other moisture. With there being so many apps designed for people while they are working out, this could draw complaints from the people who have a difficult time getting into their phone in the middle of workout to check their progress.