Apple Officially Addresses Location Data Controversy

Whether or not the behavior of this cache was in fact "a bug", I think the update that flushes the cache files when Location Services is disabled will settle the issue.
 
This is a lie



Keeping a database of our general location is logging our location. :mad: 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.

Maybe your name should be full of sh#%. We know you are a goo fan troll.
 
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NebulaClash said:
It's nice that this month's "Apple-gate" story will start to die. I can't wait to see what the media generates next month in the "Apple-gate" saga.

Antennagate
Locationgate

C'mon, Apple competitors, think up your next outrage.

Who cares about all this overblown nonsense. I just want my damn iPad 2. Those bloody things sell out as soon as anyone gets any amount of stock.
 
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It wouldn't hurt to actually read the article. I know this wouldn't allow you to write the gibberish that is your paranoia, so I can see why you wouldn't. They say very clearly that they will be releasing an update to the particular problem of location services. Also, the phone isn't logging your location if it is logging cell towers and some wifi hotspots. It's logging those locations.

And how close do you have to be before a wifi is logged? they reach what, 10-100meters? Take the log and triangulate the cell towers, since your properly most at work or at home, those two places will stand out in the data.
 
Freaking morons, if this article proves anything it's that Apple is NOT tracking you as a company. It doesn't log your coordinates and whereabouts and sends it back to Apple by using your Gmail account.

I'm fine with sending information to Apple if Apple could prove that it's encrypted anonymously. If that actually helps whatever i'm looking for near me load faster in maps, i'm all for it.

Oh Apple, I can't believe you still have hope in the dumb human race. Anya Major should have never thrown that hammer. Just let them be indoctrinated... More Apple products for me :)
 
There aren't any concerns, but since the media hyped this up so much, they had to address it. Now they have. Should be the end of the story. But it won't be since there are anti-Apple folks who will push to keep this story alive as long as they can until the next Apple-gate story gets created.

And I'm sure when the next Apple-gate story gets created, the blind fanbois will jump to their defense. :rolleyes:
 
If they're not tracking location, why would the new update purge the location database when it's turned off... :p
 
Sigh.

This is a lie



Keeping a database of our general location is logging our location. :mad: 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.

Incorrect - it's not tracking your direct location as you assert.

For instance, when you're visiting "Harry's Sex Shop and under the counter Heroin sales" it doesn't track that you're actually at that business.

It tracks that your phone contacted "AT&T Cellular Site 601-2L" which might be within line of sight of such a business or it might be in the surrounding neighborhood or somewhat nearby.

My own phone shows that I travel all over the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul since I am an IT staffer who journeys between 25 different offices all of the time that are dispersed all over town - and I think you would be hard pressed to find out ANYTHING from looking at that picture, it's a giant mess of dots all over town and one satellite facility southeast of town:

iphone.jpg


Anyway. Yes, an enterprising thief with access to your phone could use it potentially. But as it is, collating that data would require some smarts and effort.
 
I'm old-fashined I guess because I have no interest in having a smartphone in the first place. I just have a standard flip-phone. By owning a smartphone, you are always going to be faced with privacy issues...

Did you know dumb phones record every call you make? That they record who you call, and how long you talk to them? That when landlines are involved, nubmers are recorded that pinpoint the location? That your phone transmits that information to your phone company? Look at your next phone bill. Your standard flip phone even records who calls YOU and tells THAT to your phone company, too. AND if you lose your phone bill--as is the case if you lose your phone--all that data's available, in unencrypted form, to anyone and everyone!

My take: Yeah, the data should've been encrypted, and prudence would have had it deleted after a short time. They're fixing that now. But it serves a purpose we all value, facilitating calling and optimizing location services when we want them. It's a glitch, nothing more, exaggerated by media attention (and i'm part of the media, so I'm not unfairly finger-pointing) just as happened with antenna-gate and the fuss over Toyotas accelerating out of control (where almost always the conclusion is someone put their foot on the accelerator instead of the brake, by mistake). Ten years from now someone will write an entertaining book about the gap between public hysteria and reality on these issues and many others (birtherism, anyone? or if your political views swing in a different way, government spending way beyond its means?)

I'm not saying the location database is operator error. Clearly not. I'm just trying to keep it in perspective. (It's not time-stamped? It's accurate sometimes only to 50 or 81 miles, as in cases reported in this thread? My phone, using the data that's recorded, consistently puts me five miles from my home, in a different county, across a river, four or five cities away, due to some oddity of cell tower location).

Look, your credit cards not only keep track of where you've been, but how much you spent there, and when, with precise geographic accuracy. Sometimes they even tell what you've bought. Just look at your next bill. Did you know your bank keeps track of every check you write, and to whom, and sends that information to you unencrypted via the mail? Did you know...

I think we should keep this situation in perspective. Too many people here see the privacy sky falling on them, when they're really swimming in it. (Did you know the device you're using to read this doesn't protect you from being victimized by horrible unencrypted metaphors...?)
 
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Incorrect - it's not tracking your direct location as you assert.

For instance, when you're visiting "Harry's Sex Shop and under the counter Heroin sales" it doesn't track that you're actually at that business.

It tracks that your phone contacted "AT&T Cellular Site 601-2L" which might be within line of sight of such a business or it might be in the surrounding neighborhood or somewhat nearby.

My own phone shows that I travel all over the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul since I am an IT staffer who journeys between 25 different offices all of the time that are dispersed all over town - and I think you would be hard pressed to find out ANYTHING from looking at that picture, it's a giant mess of dots all over town and one satellite facility southeast of town:

<snip>

Anyway. Yes, an enterprising thief with access to your phone could use it potentially. But as it is, collating that data would require some smarts and effort.

You stole my map!!!
 
This is a lie

Keeping a database of our general location is logging our location. :mad: 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.

A white truck just drove by my house. Was this your truck? How is me looking outside the window and seeing some anonymous truck tracking that individual's location?!

Grow up and get smart!
 
* Newsflash You can do both *

Wow, I don't know what's worse, your apathy or the irony. They're called "priorities" and some people need to get theirs together… that would be called "reality"...

Then why are you telling me to worry about Japan and the jobless americans instead of the iPhone location database that Apple needed to address and did to my satisfaction ? :rolleyes:

Newsflash, I can do both and did!

What does this have to do with priorities ? Like you said : I can do both. Apple doesn't need to wait for the Japan disaster to be over to fix this. They don't need to wait for jobless americans to get jobs.

What was your point really ?
 
Incorrect - it's not tracking your direct location as you assert.

For instance, when you're visiting "Harry's Sex Shop and under the counter Heroin sales" it doesn't track that you're actually at that business.

Depends.

Someone could infer that info, if the cell cache says that around 2am you visited the town Harry's is in, and it's the only store open at that time.

:)
 
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I understand people's concern for privacy, but cell tower location and wifi spot location =/= actual location, at least specifically. Yes, someone could know your location if they accessed your computer and gained entry (flaw 1), then looked at said files (flaw 2), and then proceeded to attempt to triangulate your position based off of your relative locations (keep in mind you travel, thus flaw 3). I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it takes a lot of work and even more guesswork, as well as a whole host of security flaws.

This whole thing is generally over-hyped, per usual, just like with Google. Releasing the "update" however will pretty much quash this dead in it's tracks.
EDIT: Someone above mentioned Sony and PSN... Now THAT'S a security flaw. "Your credit card details may have been compromised"... as well as your address, history, billing details, etc. Not trying to defend any of the companies mentioned here, but let's get a little perspective, no? ;)

Also, do you people know how cell phones and Internet data works? I swear by some people's responses they don't. Here's a hint -- your cellular provider knows what towers you're accessing at all times, and probably even logs this. Here's another hint: data through your provider is all logged and monitored. Here's another: that wifi spot you're using? Yeah, that's all monitored and logged too by the ISP that provides to that router.

The Internet (and thus by connection cellphones via "3G" and other broadband) is NOT private nor ever will be. It's the very nature of connecting to something else that can ultimately expose everything. It's the fundamental flaw in security. Even VPN's aren't entirely secure, as the person running the VPN can monitor traffic in the concentrator, or even more amusing, your ISP or someone else can sniff packets from you->VPN server.
 
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And once again the Apple fans will turn out to have been correct.

Really? The posters on here that say there was no issue are correct?

I guess Apple fixing certain bugs related to this is whimtime.

I guess it's all a matter of what part of the issue you deem important. The tracking, the retention or the ability to opt out
 
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Why do people care? I have nothing to hide, and I'm surely not enough "important" for Apple to track me step by step!
 
Then why are you telling me to worry about Japan and the jobless americans instead of the iPhone location database that Apple needed to address and did to my satisfaction ? :rolleyes:

Newsflash, I can do both and did!

What does this have to do with priorities ? Like you said : I can do both.

No, you didn't.

What was your point really ?

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Why do people care? I have nothing to hide, and I'm surely not enough "important" for Apple to track me step by step!

This was my point (and I think I was pretty clear when I mentioned priorities and reality). If you don't agree, move on, no need to get your panties in a bunch, just don't comment (I'm sure there are a lot of comments you disagree with so why are you gunning for me?). Moving on here, better things to do and this is a pointless matter you're making into an argument...

You gots some demons in you chil'...
 
This was my point.

Wait, I don't get it. You're telling me there's tons of more stuff to care about while trying to tell someone else that if he doesn't care, he shouldn't comment.

I really don't get your point. Nor do I find the "there's more important stuff to care about" argument valid in any kind of way.
 
This was my point. If you don't agree, no need to get your panties in a bunch, just don't comment. You gots some demons in you chil'...

I find your statement back to him a bit hypocritical and quite judgmental. Why are his panties in a twist but not yours?

Your initial reply to him was harsh to begin with and he replied logically. Agree to disagree. Leave it at that.
 
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Your location is nothing compared to what Facebook collects about you :p
 
And how close do you have to be before a wifi is logged? they reach what, 10-100meters? Take the log and triangulate the cell towers, since your properly most at work or at home, those two places will stand out in the data.

No they won't stand out in the data, because each cell tower or Wi-Fi hotspot is only included once in the database. And there is no information regarding how much time you spend in each location.
 
I find your statement back to him a bit hypocritical and quite judgmental. Why are his panties in a twist but not yours?

Your initial reply to him was harsh to begin with and he replied logically. Agree to disagree. Leave it at that.

He commented to my post, not the other way around.

My comment, #75 (again, no mention of him):

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 :p

His comment to me:

None of which are affecting my day to day life. However, since you say I can't go on living my life until all other worldly issues are resolved, I will be waiting for a e-mail letting me know when I can resume going about my daily routine.

Until then, I will stay fixed in front of my computer screen. :rolleyes:

This argument that we shouldn't worry about anything because bigger things are going on has got to stop. It's the most disingenuous comment you can make.

So this comment was logical and not insulting and personal?

I made no mention of or to him in my initial post, so this means your comment should be addressed to him, not me… and how does this involve you?

I made a comment, directed to no one, that many agreed with, but one person made personal slams at me and why are we discussing this?

/end of discussion, this is juvenile
 
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