They cannot pinpoint YOU because data is sent anonymously. They can roughly pinpoint A phone, but don't know whose phone it is because the data is sent anonymously (aka without identifying information)
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Apple Officially Addresses Location Data Controversy
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It's Apple. If Apple does something, it's the end of the world. If everyone else does something similar, *shrug*
Apple does well in the market place, so it behooves the tech media to attack Apple as often as their partners wish them to. Standard PR tactics.
This is a lie
Keeping a database of our general location is logging our location.Does Apple really think this double talk, where they say they keep a database of location but don't log the location is going to fly?
At least our overlord will now, I hope, stop collecting location data when location services are turned off. It's a disgrace that it took a media storm to shame them into action.
What a rightwingnut, especially when you read all the fellow's signature at the bottom of his post.
Images taken with my camera do not contain GPS data if I have turned off that feature.
You're just misinterpreting what I was saying. They identified it as a potential issue, instead of saying "there's nothing wrong, we're not going to do a darned thing." I wasn't saying the brought it up to the media's attention on their own.
Nitpicking, is well, nitpicky?
If you're a criminal or a paranoid psycho, then yeah . . . it might be an issue. Even then, its rather useless to actually pinpoint someone's location.
Damn. some of you guys are *really* reaching here.
Potentially yes. However as people stated, it was way out of proportion. Media is one end, Apple is the other like you said. I'm sure like 99.1% of things, it lies somewhere in between them.
There are a myriad of ways to track you if someone really wants to, and it's been that way since last names became popular in the 13th century (and phone numbers, driver's licenses, SSNs, W-2s, passports, time cards, tax returns, mail box contents, garbage, written receipts, passenger lists, customer surveys, relatives, friends, credit cards, personal checks, street cams and literally a thousand more).
Information has always been out there, long before the iPhone/iPad and the Benign DB. It's the use that matters.
The difference is a question of access. To get at the records kept by your cell phone provider, you need a subpoena. Any roommate/guest/thief/stalker with access to your computer or iPhone can get the data off your iphone or the backup as it exists right now. I don't mind the former, but I want to do everything I can to prevent the latter.
Keep better tabs on your phone. Encrypt the computer backup. Yeah yeah, I know sometimes we lose things. Hell, I've lost my iphone in my couch and took a half hour to find out WHERE in the couch it went.
Even still, you have to take some responsibility at some point. We can't all rely on Apple/Google/Purina Brand Puppy Chow to keep our data completely 100% safe. As they say in the IT security industry, "Your biggest threats are the end users". Technology can only go so far.
If you're REALLY paranoid, install Where's my Iphone, and if you lose it, remote wipe it.
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It clearly is an issue if they have a federal lawsuit on it. The fact that Apple are rolling out an update that changes the way it works alone shows that there is clearly a problem. Apple vary rarely roll out updates that change things, even if consumers are screaming for it (mouse acceleration in OS X for example).
You refuse to accept there is a problem. You refuse to see the breech of privacy. Why? The government and Apple have clearly accepted it.
Is this the same government that allowed warrantless wire tapping? The same federal government that allowed Halliburton no bid contracts in Iraq? Interesting how some cherry pick (this is not referring to you at all, just a general statement, not meant to be personal
), "government is bad, social healthcare is bad, but wait, federal lawsuits have merit, government is right". A lot of federal lawsuits have no merit and there has been no ruling. Thus if a lawsuit is federal = all federal lawsuits are valid TRUE, doesn't make sense. Perhaps waiting this out for more information would be prudent instead of jumping down each others' throats. (again, this is not directed at you, just clarifying so no one thinks I'm "taking this to the mattresses" lol)
I do not understand why every thread on MacRumors turns into a free-for-all. It should be called "MacFeuders"…
Is this the same government that allowed warrantless wire tapping? The same government that used "color coding" to induce fear when there was nothing reported? The same federal government that allowed Halliburton no bid contracts in Iraq? Interesting how some cherry pick (this is not referring to you at all, just a general statement, not meant to be personal
A lot of federal lawsuits have no merit and there has been no ruling. Thus if a lawsuit is federal means all federal lawsuits are valid, doesn't make sense. Perhaps waiting this out for more information would be prudent instead of jumping down each others' throats.
I do not understand why every thread on MacRumors turns into a free-for-all. It should be called "MacFeuders"...
Maybe you'd prefer discourse where everyone agreed and had the same opinion as you. Maybe some white fluffy bunnies too?
I kid.At the end of the day - an issue was indentified. Apple is responding. Arguing whether or not there is an issue is silly. Arguing whether or not Apple is responding is silly.
That's not addressed to you - but everyone at this point
Here for some perspective
News on slashdot.org:
77 Million Accounts Stolen From Playstation Network.
Earth will not stop turning, but I think this is just slightly, slightly worse than a file that shows where you haven't exactly been at some point in the past if someone steals your iPhone.
See title of the thread: "Apple addresses controversy". There is and there never was a problem, but the idiocracy forced Apple to act to end the controversy. Right now, who do you think should worry more, iPhone owners or PS3 owners?
News on slashdot.org:
77 Million Accounts Stolen From Playstation Network.
Earth will not stop turning, but I think this is just slightly, slightly worse than a file that shows where you haven't exactly been at some point in the past if someone steals your iPhone.
See title of the thread: "Apple addresses controversy". There is and there never was a problem, but the idiocracy forced Apple to act to end the controversy. Right now, who do you think should worry more, iPhone owners or PS3 owners?
Maybe you'd prefer discourse where everyone agreed and had the same opinion as you. Maybe some white fluffy bunnies too?
At the end of the day - an issue was indentified. Apple is responding. Arguing whether or not there is an issue is silly. Arguing whether or not Apple is responding is silly.
That's not addressed to you - but everyone at this point
Civil discourse is great, arguing over silly semantics on an issue when all the facts have not been fully presented seems to be "putting the cart before the horse."
As they say, opinions are like a**holes, everyone has em and they all stink
Both are issues. Both are being addressed. Why must someone (you) throw one company under the bus in favor of supporting another. Both had/have issues and both are responding.
Well, I think it's good that Apple is addressing this issue (although I wonder if they'll release an update for the 3G, since they are no longer doing iOS upgrades for it and the original iPhone).
But their statement: "The iPhone is not logging your location" is ridiculous. They are logging your location. For a long time. In an insecure way.
Outside of the PR butt saving double-speak, this is a good move by Apple to address this issue.
But their statement: "The iPhone is not logging your location" is ridiculous. They are logging your location. For a long time. In an insecure way.
Outside of the PR butt saving double-speak, this is a good move by Apple to address this issue.
You should probably learn what "lawsuit", "federal", and "government" actually mean before saying such things.
In computer security class they will teach you to secure personal information by default. And if necessary to provide an option to unsecure it. I am sure Apple knows this. For some reason they chose not to follow this advice.
They are now fixing the problem. There is no need to defend them.
I don't feel like reading through all the butt hurt comments and strangely political attacks in this thread so I'll just ask:
How do we know that Apple anonymizes data they do send?
How do we know that Apple anonymizes data they do send?
If you believe this is not a problem, the burden of proof is not to show there is at least one instance where the information would not be useful. Instead, the burden of proof is if for you to show there is NO circumstance where this information could be used against someone.