Key Points
- A call-recording app called Neon has been shut down just a week after its launch.
- The app paid users for their recorded conversations, which were then sold to AI companies.
- A major security flaw allowed any user to access the private call data of other users. The exposed data included phone numbers, call recordings, and transcripts.
- The founder took the app offline but reportedly did not inform users about the security breach.
Neon, a new call-recording app that pays users to sell their conversations to AI companies, has been shut down just a week after its launch due to a massive security flaw. The app, which had quickly gained popularity, was taken offline after a report from TechCrunch revealed that any logged-in user could easily access the private data of other users.
The security breach was a big one. It allowed anyone to see other users’ phone numbers, the numbers they called, and, most alarmingly, access the actual call recordings and their transcripts.
According to the report, it had contacted Neon’s founder, Alex Kiam, about the vulnerability. Kiam quickly took the app’s servers offline and started telling users that the service was being “paused.” However, he reportedly did not inform them about the serious security breach that had exposed their private data.
It’s unclear whether or when Neon will be back online, or what new security measures the company plans to implement. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the privacy risks associated with users handing over their personal data, particularly sensitive information like recorded phone calls, in exchange for a small payment.
