Apple said it's working on improving its process for receiving and escalating tips, Apple also apologized to users who were affected

FaceTime Bug Update Soon: Apple fixes its FaceTime bug, Getting to Next Week

"I tried my best to report it to them, and they didn't listen," Thompson told CNET.
It's ready to put Group FaceTime's eavesdropping issues behind it
Apple also apologized to users who were affected

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Apple Says Its Update for Group FaceTime Bug Is Getting Bumped to Next Week

Apple has closed the Group FaceTime security bug that put users at risk of eavesdropping. After a massive FaceTime bug that allowed users to potentially listen in on others, Apple disabled Group FaceTime in a short-term fix to the problem. An update to address the problem was expected this week, The company said in a statement Friday that it has fixed the vulnerability on its servers and that it will issue a software update to re-enable Group FaceTime next week.

"We take the security of our products extremely seriously and we are committed to continuing to earn the trust Apple customers place in us," the company said.
The bug could work on users whose devices supported Group FaceTime, which included those running iOS 12.1 and macOS Mojave 10.14.1 or later. Apple is already facing multiple lawsuits over the incident.

Bug means

The bug had meant that any Apple device -- including iPhones, iPads and Macs -- could inadvertently or intentionally be turned into a listening device. It was all in how you entered the number of someone you were looping into the video chat. Group FaceTime, which arrived with iOS 12.1 at the end of October, allows up to 32 people to be on the same call.

Apple Says

We want to assure our customers that as soon as our engineering team became aware of the necessary details to reproduce the bug, they quickly disabled the group's face time and started working on fixes. We are committed to improving the reports through which we receive and forward these reports so that they can be delivered to the right people as quickly as possible. We take the security of our products very seriously and we are committed to maintaining trust in Apple customers who are in us.

9to5Mac, Apple's full statement

We have fixed the Group FaceTime security bug on Apple's servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week. In a statement to 9to5Mac, the company thanked the family of the teenager who discovered the bug and apologized “to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue.” The company also appeared to address concerns that the problem.

We want to assure our customers that as soon as our engineering team became aware of the necessary details to reproduce the bug, they immediately disabled Group Festime and began work on the fix. We are committed to improving the process by which we recee and escalate these reports, in order to get them to the right people as fast as possible.We take the security of our products very seriously and we are committed to maintaining trust in Apple customers who are in us.

Apple fixes its FaceTime bug. You'll get a software update soon

In its statement, Apple thanked the Thompson family for reporting the bug. Michele Thompson's teenaged son had discovered the vulnerability while playing Fortnite, CNET reported, and she spent a week trying, through a variety of means, to get the company to pay attention.
Grant Thompson told MarketWatch that it was more than a week before they were able to connect with Apple, adding that his mother “contacted them almost every single day through email, calling, faxing.” Michele Thompson, a lawyer, told the site that there should be better systems in place for “for the average citizen to report things like this.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

Following news of the eavesdropping bug this week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a consumer alert about the bug, which he described as “an egregious breach of privacy that puts New Yorkers at risk.” Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James later announced that New York state would be opening an investigation into the incident.

The bug was another black eye for a company that prides itself on its efforts to protect its users' information. CEO Tim Cook has advocated for more privacy regulation and taken subtle shots at companies that use our data to create personalized ads.
The bug allowed FaceTime users to call another device and hear audio on the other end before the recipient answered the call. That is, it turned the device into a hot mic without the user's knowledge.