Did Apple just kill social apps?

Some app makers worry that a subtle change to the iPhone’s contact-sharing permissions could make it hard for them to get the fast growth they rely on to compete. — The New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO: This year, when Apple announced iOS 18, the latest version of its mobile operating system, most of the attention went to its slate of new artificial intelligence features.

But a lesser-noticed change in iOS 18 – a tweak to an obscure feature that allows users to share their contact lists with various apps – may wind up being more important.