Managing user data and privacy on social networks is tricky business as the mobile-centric "personal network" Path found out. Dave Morin, Path CEO, has posted a blog on the company's website titled "We are sorry," in response to user complaints that the company was uploading and storing phone contact information onto their servers without permission.
Morin said that Path believes users should have control of their personal information and the company has now deleted all stored user contact information.
"Through the feedback we've received from all of you, we now understand that the way we had designed our 'Add Friends' feature was wrong," Morin wrote. "We are deeply sorry if you were uncomfortable with how our application used your phone contacts."
Morin said use of the information was limited to improving the quality of friend suggestions when a member used the 'Add Friends' feature and to notify users when one of their contacts joins Path.
In Path 2.0.6, released to the App Store today, users will be prompted to opt in or out of sharing their phone's contacts with the company's servers in order to find their friends and family on Path.
Users can revoke this access at any time by sending an email to service@path.com and Path will ensure that the user's contact information is removed from its servers.