Apple has announced that it will pay an undisclosed sum to a US teenager who discovered a security flaw in Apple’s FaceTime video-calling system.
Apple has announced that it will pay an undisclosed sum to a US teenager who discovered a security flaw in Apple’s FaceTime video-calling system.
Grant Thompson, a 14-year-old from Arizona, will receive an unspecified amount for finding the bug late January.
Thompson realized the issue by accident when he attempted to use the app to connect with friends while they were setting up a chat to play with the video game “Fortnite.”
While creating a group call with his friends Grant was able to listen in on the first individual he had called before he could answer the phone.
The bug was also capable of enabling callers to see through front-facing cameras even if the app has been optimized.
The teen’s mother, Michele Thompson, spent a week trying to notify Apple of the flaw.
Through a series of tweets, emails and Facebook posts, Michele attempted to contact Apple to report the bug without success.
Apple was forced to temporarily disable the group chat function in an attempt find a fix to an eavesdropping bug.
In a statement Apple reassured its users that it has so far released a fix to the problem.
Apple said it plans to pay the Thompson family an amount not yet disclosed but it’s believed to be an amount ranging from $25,000 to $ 200,000. The company also plans to make a donation to help pay for his education.
Apple has come under heavy criticism for delayed response to the Thompson family . A spokesperson said that the company is working on improving its bug reporting processes to make it more accessible to the public.
