This article at least implies that the Weather Channel app is in some way broadcasting my sexual orientation. It's fearmongering because they are deliberately associating some apps that may reveal lots of info with lots of apps that reveal some info, creating the belief in the reader that lots of apps are revealing lots of info.
It follows the pattern of "we found a dangerous toy. your child has toys. special report, after the break."
It's fear-mongering because the title of the series is 'What They Know' - emphasis on the ominous, faceless, ever-present THEY.
Even if there's no real connection between, say, upstart advertisers and the Black Helicopter Patrol, the framing suggests that anyone with an interest in user data is part of a monolithic, conspiring entity that staffs the thin edge of their Orwellian wedge with Angry Birds.
That's not to say the gist isn't interesting. But the breathless FOX FACTS wrapper? Not helping.
The problem is that by acting as the sole gatekeeper for the App Store, anything that is published can be considered to carry Apple's official stamp of approval. That makes them liable for privacy violations and other legal missteps that the proprietor of a truly open platform could disclaim responsibility for.
If they want to control the platform with an iron fist, they can damn well take the bad consequences along with the good ones.
It's fear-mongering because the media is selective about what it gets huffy and indignant about.
Where's the outrage over Google's behavioral retargeting? And have you ever tried to buy an ad on Facebook? The granularity with which you can target ads is insane (or insanely awesome, depending on your perspective)
