Then, those of you who are in this train-of-thought should stop buying electronics. Did you know that your computer stores data of where you've been on the internet...AND...your location? Your GPS stores data...your...well, you get the point.
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Apple Officially Addresses Location Data Controversy
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Then, those of you who are in this train-of-thought should stop buying electronics. Did you know that your computer stores data of where you've been on the internet...AND...your location? Your GPS stores data...your...well, you get the point.
Le Big Mac
macrumors 68030
How much is it costing me to send the data to apple so they can crowdsource locations for everyone? I doubt AT&T isn't counting this towards data use.
This is correct. In checking my trip to NC last year, it's showing locations i wasn't even close to. literally 81 miles away from the closest destination I was at (including the trip up and down).
Check a map of all ATT cell towers, i confirmed one cell tower in a location very close to whats pinned on the map (it's about 4 blocks off)
You should read Apple's reply to a query from two Congressmen in July 2010: http://markey.house.gov/docs/applemarkeybarton7-12-10.pdf
Apple clearly states that location data is being collected anonymously and is being used to maintain Apple's database of cell tower and Wi-Fi hotspot locations. Prior to iOS 3.2, Apple made use of similar databases provided by Skyhook and Google, but now Apple has created its own.
This sucks.
I have no regrets as to what I have done, or were I have been in my lifetime. I liked the ability to look back over the time I had my iPhone 4.
But honestly people, the iPhone (and most other smart phones) are;
- Wirelessly network attached
- Have a Microphone (usually mutiple)
- have a camera capable of video / still images (usually multiple)
- are GPS aware
- have motion sensors of some type
- make logs (of various types)
- have gigabytes of storage
- most sync to systems which are connected to the internet in some form
- And all running on software with known (and likely many unknown) vulnerabilities.
With some smart software installed, I am sure your phone could know more about you than your closest friends or loved ones. 😉
Personal and data security takes a bit of work and effort. it can't simply be installed, or patched in an update. If you take security seriously, software "bugs" like this shouldn't be an issue.
I have no regrets as to what I have done, or were I have been in my lifetime. I liked the ability to look back over the time I had my iPhone 4.
But honestly people, the iPhone (and most other smart phones) are;
- Wirelessly network attached
- Have a Microphone (usually mutiple)
- have a camera capable of video / still images (usually multiple)
- are GPS aware
- have motion sensors of some type
- make logs (of various types)
- have gigabytes of storage
- most sync to systems which are connected to the internet in some form
- And all running on software with known (and likely many unknown) vulnerabilities.
With some smart software installed, I am sure your phone could know more about you than your closest friends or loved ones. 😉
Personal and data security takes a bit of work and effort. it can't simply be installed, or patched in an update. If you take security seriously, software "bugs" like this shouldn't be an issue.
I wonder how long this "bug" has existed? You know...the bug that's recording all sorts of other information into the database.
2 years? 4 years?
If it's been longer than a few months, no one will ever believe a)it is a bug b)a bug this severe for privacy concerns, c)that it was never mentioned before as a bug, and d)until the lawsuit has never been on the roadmap to be fixed.
2 years? 4 years?
If it's been longer than a few months, no one will ever believe a)it is a bug b)a bug this severe for privacy concerns, c)that it was never mentioned before as a bug, and d)until the lawsuit has never been on the roadmap to be fixed.
Even if one is "Apple friendly" when looking at this objectively that's a weak response.
Don't really care whether that is considered tracking or whatever word you want to find. Also, don't care if Apple upload or not!
When I turn something OFF, I need to be able to trust that it is OFF
Yes, we all have to realize we are constantly "logged" with IPs, cell towers,
EZ-pass etc. BUT there is no way they can make me believe this is a bug. We are almost at ios 5, so plenty of time to fix this.
It's a bad judgement on Apple's part, thinking that it doesn't cause any harm.
Well it does - to their reputation!
2499723
Cancelled
Apple's solution is fine by me. They wouldn't have done anything if there wasn't so much press about it, but I guess that's a good reason (one of the only ones) for the press to exist. Still, they all managed to get it a bit wrong, though. I noticed (like so many others out there), that the map wasn't recording my EXACT location, but just cell towers and wifi spots I may have accessed. The info didn't really bother me. It wasn't like it had me pegged at my local pub - or did it?!?! =)
if any of you are concerned about being tracked - why on earth would you buy any product that has a GPS in it (all computers cash info) and why on earth would you buy a cell phone - the towers know almost exactly when (which apple doesn't know) and where you are? The reaction to this news is stupid.
SoGood
macrumors 6502
Iraqis are dying, Afghani are dying, Syrians are dying, American soldiers are dying, British soldiers are dying, Australian soldiers are dying, elderly around the world are losing medical services... And civvies and senators are busy complaining about a location log in an iPhone? There are some screwed up heads in this world!
gnasher729
Suspended
There was never anything to worry about. However, paranoia strikes, everyone goes mad without any reason, so what is Apple supposed to do? Note that the same paranoia has been striking against Windows phones as well now (look at theregister.com), with dozens and dozens of clueless idiots complaining that Windows is even worse than Apple, or equally bad as Apple, or almost as bad as Apple, based on the fact that Windows is using the same crowd sourcing that Apple (and Google) uses, and a general misunderstanding of what is actually happening.
The only actual _real_ privacy problem that I have seen so far is that Google's database (they have a database of WiFi locations, just as Apple, Windows, Skyhook, and I think Nokia) is not secured enough and lets anyone get access to lookup the location of any WiFi base station (my home network is located within about 100 meters or about 20 homes; the centre of the circle is quite exactly where I live). Which means if for some reason you want to go into hiding, you better don't take your WiFi router with you. (People got all paranoid about the iPhone, but anyone trying to find you first has to find your iPhone, and usually that means they've found you as well, whether there is any data on the phone or not). This problem with Google's database affects _anyone_ with a WiFi router in the whole world, whether they have any phone or not.
Apple sends this preferably over WiFi, in which case it costs you almost nothing. But you have benefits: Your GPS works immediately when turned on instead of taking up to several minutes (like the bloody TomTom in my car does, which is pretty annoying at times), and you can find yourself quite precisely on a map in the middle of London where GPS just doesn't work because of all the tall buildings; New Yorkers probably appreciate it just as much.
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The issue has been known for over a year.
The bad press Apple has been getting led to this "discovery"
Much like the bad press led Apple to "discover" that their Antenna had an issue while pointing the finger at all phones to say that all phones have an issue.
So again - whether or not the lawsuit is justified - at the very least, when matters like this are brought to attention, results can be achieved. So for those criticizing people speaking up when they see something wrong, try and remember that it's the questioning that is important to achieve clarity and transparency. You don't have to agree with lawsuits, etc. But it's always important to engage in discussion.
Things don't just happen without money. People are increasingly adverse to paying for items like apps or news, or are only willing to pay so much (e.g. pay TV, sport etc.), such that marketing needs to subsidise the product.
That news story you read on the internet? It's because of that ad so intrusively shoved in your face that you didn't need to reach for your wallet to be able to read it.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
"Calculating a phone's location using just GPS satellite data can take up to several minutes."
Then how is car-navigation working?
Apple - Locating different 😀
Then how is car-navigation working?
Apple - Locating different 😀
faroZ06
macrumors 68040
It doesn't keep a log of the "location" but which WiFi spots you have been on. Also, the database is not easily accessible. But really, don't complain if you enabled Location Services...
I looked at the map from a recent road trip. It showed cell towers 50 miles off the route I was on--probably next towers over in case I headed that direction. It's the apple bashing trolls who are blowing this way out of proportion.
nicroma
macrumors 6502a
For myself, it was interesting to find that there were many locations that were WAY off. A good majority were up to 100 miles off, just as Apple has said. None of the locations mapped would let anyone pinpoint where my house or work actually are because they were so inaccurate.
Your type of apathy in the long term will do more harm than good.
There is a big difference between voluntarily and involuntarily giving out personal information and that's what was at stake here.
Apple admitted error - it's ok - you can admit it might not have been in the best interest of consumers too. Apple won't come and take your iPhone away.
Poll Smoker
macrumors 6502a
Well, you're certainly living up to your screen name.
If you've got nothing to hide, I guess you'll start to use postcards instead of envelopes, and use your real name as your screen name?
faroZ06
macrumors 68040
Everything you see that is free is paid for by ads. Everything is made cheaper by them. Just ignore them.
There's a nuclear disaster in Japan and treacherous weather throughout, people are jobless and homeless and the dollar's in the sh***er and our Supreme Court ruled that companies can give unlimited financial aid to any politician putting business interests in our government and people are worried about Apple possibly tracking them on their iDevice?
Let 'em, my life is BORING, they wouldn't be interested 😛
Let 'em, my life is BORING, they wouldn't be interested 😛