| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to privacy violations and data sharing by cellphone apps has not been specifically mentioned to have happened again within the same organization or with its products and services in the provided article [54978].
(b) The article [54978] highlights that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating hundreds of cellphone apps geared towards children for secretly providing personal information of users to third-party groups. This indicates that similar incidents of privacy violations and data sharing may have occurred with multiple organizations or their products and services in the mobile app industry. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where it is reported that hundreds of cellphone apps geared towards children have been found to secretly provide personal information of the users to third-party groups. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mentioned that most of the apps failed to inform parents about the types of data the app could gather and who could access it, indicating a failure in the design aspect of ensuring privacy protection for young consumers [Article 54978].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article where it is mentioned that more than a dozen of the apps that transmitted device IDs also sent the user's exact geographic location and phone number without the user's knowledge or consent. This indicates a failure in the operation aspect of handling personal data and privacy concerns during the use of the apps [Article 54978]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily within the system. The failure is related to cellphone apps designed for children secretly collecting personal information and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers without adequate disclosure to parents. This failure originates from within the system of the mobile applications themselves, where they fail to inform parents about the data being gathered and shared, contain objectionable advertising, and transmit user data to third parties without explicit consent [54978]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in this case is primarily related to the failure of mobile apps to adequately protect the privacy of children by secretly collecting personal information and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers. This failure is attributed to the apps' ability to capture a child's physical location, phone numbers of their friends, and other personal data without proper disclosure to parents. The incident highlights a systemic issue in the mobile applications industry where apps can siphon data to third parties without the user's knowledge or consent, leading to a breach of privacy [54978].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The failure in this case can also be attributed to human actions, specifically the lack of proper oversight and transparency by software companies developing mobile apps for children. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating whether these companies engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices by failing to inform parents about the types of data the apps could gather and who could access it. The report by the FTC's experts highlighted that most of the apps examined did not adequately disclose their data collection practices, contained objectionable advertising, and had links to social media platforms where children could unknowingly share personal information [54978]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The article does not mention any software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors originating in hardware [54978].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The article discusses how cellphone apps designed for children were found to secretly provide personal information of the users to third-party groups, violating privacy rights [54978].
- The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether the apps developers engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices, which would be illegal, indicating a failure in software practices [54978]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is non-malicious. The failure is related to the violation of privacy rights of children by software companies that make cellphone apps. These companies were found to be quietly collecting personal information from phones and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers without the knowledge or consent of the users or their parents [54978]. The failure was due to inadequate oversight in the marketplace for mobile applications, leading to the unauthorized sharing of personal data of children.
(b) The software failure incident is also non-malicious as it was not caused by human(s) with the intent to harm the system. Instead, the failure was a result of the rapid growth of the industry without ensuring the privacy of young consumers is adequately protected. The failure was attributed to the lack of transparency in informing parents about the types of data the apps could gather and who could access it, as well as the inclusion of objectionable advertising and links to social media services without proper disclosure [54978]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The software failure incident in the articles is related to poor decisions made by software companies that develop cellphone apps for children. These companies were found to be quietly collecting personal information from phones and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers without adequately protecting the privacy of young consumers [Article 54978].
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) highlighted that most of the 400 apps designed for kids examined failed to inform parents about the types of data the app could gather and who could access it, indicating a lack of transparency and poor decision-making regarding privacy protection [Article 54978].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
- The software failure incident does not seem to be related to accidental decisions. Instead, it is primarily attributed to deliberate actions taken by software companies to collect and share personal information without proper safeguards or transparency [Article 54978]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating whether software companies making cellphone apps have violated the privacy rights of children by quietly collecting personal information and sharing it with advertisers and data brokers [54978]. The FTC found that among 400 apps designed for kids, most failed to inform parents about the types of data the app could gather and who could access it. This lack of transparency and failure to protect the privacy of young consumers indicates a failure in ensuring professional competence in developing these apps.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also present in the article. The FTC's report highlighted that mobile apps can unknowingly siphon data to 'invisible and unknown' third parties, potentially developing detailed profiles of children without parental knowledge or consent [54978]. This accidental sharing of personal information due to inadequate oversight and lack of awareness on the part of developers and app companies contributes to the failure incident being driven by accidental factors. |
| Duration |
unknown |
The articles do not provide information about a specific software failure incident being either permanent or temporary. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention any specific instances of software crashes where the system lost state and did not perform its intended functions.
(b) omission: The articles highlight failures related to omission, where the system omitted to perform its intended functions. For example, most of the 400 apps examined by the FTC failed to inform parents about the types of data the app could gather and who could access it, indicating an omission in providing necessary information to users [54978].
(c) timing: The articles do not mention any failures related to timing, where the system performed its intended functions but at incorrect times.
(d) value: The articles discuss failures related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. For instance, an app that allowed children to paint pictures and save them in an online photo gallery did not indicate that it included advertising. Instead, it ran an ad for an online dating service, which could be considered a failure in providing the intended value to users [54978].
(e) byzantine: The articles do not mention any failures related to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The articles do not provide information on any other specific behavior of the software failure incident beyond the mentioned categories. |