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Apple Responds to Questions About Location Tracking and Privacy
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I think Apple does a pretty good job with privacy. Probably a lot better than others. With that said though, I am sure they still do there fair share of snooping.
Altruism, no, but advertisers and their target audience both have something important in common -- no one wants irrelevant ads.And in the end why the hell would you want these "marketers" to have all this info about your buying habbits and locations etc.
Do you really think it is done your benefit?
Yeh right, they are all altruists just trying to make life better for you
Admittedly, you have to ditch the idealistic view of getting something (i.e.: apps) for nothing. So it goes like this:
1. Ads are inevitable, if you want lots of cool stuff for free.
2. If I'm going to look at ads, I at least want decent ones that are relevant to me.
3. Occasionally I do want to buy stuff, so relevant ads will sometimes be useful, interesting, and save me time. Irrelevant ads just take up space.
4. If I want relevant ads, then the evil advertisers need to at least know some basic stuff about me.
To be honest, my general location is pretty anonymous info in the grand scheme of things. I've never seen my iPhone give better than 80m accuracy after all.
Actually this is anything but funny.
I am amazed at how many people think that if you are doing nothing wrong then monitoring of you cell phone, home phone or email is OK.
The government have used the Fear Factor to insinuate all sorts of monitoring into our lives and most people balance this intrusion with the terrorist threat, or other considerations.
There is no balance!
You are being watched and listened to.
And if you think this is justified on ANY level just read 1984.
While the WalMart chips in you clothes and these admob systems might seem innocent to you now...just wait. At any moment the collectors of you life's story can come knocking on your door. Maybe not this year or next but be assured there are people out there rubbing their hands together at the thought of how powerful this much information and control will become.
And in the end why the hell would you want these "marketers" to have all this info about your buying habbits and locations etc.
Do you really think it is done your benefit?
Yeh right, they are all altruists just trying to make life better for you
IDK...maybe you have a few good points here, but it's not like it's nothing new. Back in the day when there were no big box stores or mega marts, we all shopped, dined, did our dry cleaning and saw doctors all in our little ole towns...and your neighbors and other townfolk knew everything you did and you knew everything they did.
"oh look, old Martha is seeing her doctor again. Maybe that planters wart hasn't healed after all".
I've had the same cashier at my grocery store the last few times I picked a few things up. Oh lord, maybe I should shop at another store next time, that way SHE doesn't get to know my eating habits. I wouldn't want her to know that, who knows she might tell me one of my favorite items is on sale this week.
And to your concern that these folks aren't "altruistic", they also are not all the devil incarnate, looking for your info in particular. I mean really, what makes you that important?
We all have different levels of concern over privacy, and what may be a concern for you is a non event for others. I think we all have bigger fish to fry than this ludicrous paranoia over location based data tracking.
That's exactly how I feel! It's not like I'm some spy or high-up government official... who cares about tracking me? No one... so I don't really care.
Overall, I think these things are cool... in the long run, location based services and offers will be very beneficial when we want them. As long as we have the choice to say "No" I'm okay with it.
Actually this is anything but funny.
I am amazed at how many people think that if you are doing nothing wrong then monitoring of you cell phone, home phone or email is OK.
The government have used the Fear Factor to insinuate all sorts of monitoring into our lives and most people balance this intrusion with the terrorist threat, or other considerations.
There is no balance!
You are being watched and listened to.
And if you think this is justified on ANY level just read 1984.
While the WalMart chips in you clothes and these admob systems might seem innocent to you now...just wait. At any moment the collectors of you life's story can come knocking on your door. Maybe not this year or next but be assured there are people out there rubbing their hands together at the thought of how powerful this much information and control will become.
And in the end why the hell would you want these "marketers" to have all this info about your buying habbits and locations etc.
Do you really think it is done your benefit?
Yeh right, they are all altruists just trying to make life better for you
I know, once they figure out everything about me... oh wait... is this a secure blog? Shhhhh... I think they're watching us now!
Honestly... do you really think anyone really cares about what the everyday person does... who the heck has time to wade through all that data to "go after you"?
I've been involved in one-to-one marketing programs before and very familar with them... honestly... it is done to your benefit. And if you don't want in, then opt out. They don't want to waste time marketing things to you if you don't want it.
I'm going back to thinking about what I'm going to do when the Alien invaders show up to capture and repress the human race... that is more likely than someone wasting time reading my lame emails and tracking my trips to the store.
Oh wait... I just got a text to my iPhone with a subliminal message attached... Must GO TO APPLE STORE NOW. MUST BUY NEW iPAD.
Having to choose between losing hardware functionality or losing privacy is not a "positive" resolution. The hardware is capable of detecting location without reporting that location to second or third parties. Strange how many people are so willing to dismiss and give away what countless have fought and died for, petulantly mocking those who express legitimate concern, and pledging their implicit personal trust in a corporation.
I don't get everyones paranoid way of thinking when it comes to privacy. Who cares if they collect information about where you are or what websites you visit to give you relevant ads? I hate ads, but if i have to see them i'd rather see ads for things i MIGHT be interested in buying. As far as i'm concerned, collect away.
Agreed. I read Apple's letter and they are very forthcoming about all details of their information gathering and really have nothing to hide.
What really freaks me out are Facebook and Google. The Facebook ads on the side that are clearly targeted to me based on gender, age, relationship status, interests, etc. On Gmail (which I love btw) I hate the ads at the top that clearly reflect the body text in my most recent emails. creepy.
I have been considering switching to mobileme, I liked it in the trial.
It's not that we trust them... it's just the reality of "why do they care and what are they going to do with it"? Send me a coupon for 10% off?
Heaven forbid! If someone really wants to control my life and manipulate me, then they will find more evil ways... but since I'm a nobody... why would they?
It's not that we trust them... it's just the reality of "why do they care and what are they going to do with it"? Send me a coupon for 10% off?
If someone really wants to control my life and manipulate me, then they will find more evil ways... but since I'm a nobody... why would they?
I think the real fear some people have is that someday someone like Apple/Google/Facebook will sell their data to someone who will use it for more nefarious purposes. (legitimate or not? that's to be seen in the future)
This is NOT an issue.
The way the media and Congress have played this up shows just how collectively stupid they are, and the paranoia is successfully spreading to people like the individual I have quoted above. The fact is, ALL cell phones broadcast information about you. And while you might think that this means you're in a Will Smith conspiracy-theory movie, you are not. Here is why.
Imagine yourself driving down a road at night. A dog darts into the path of your car. You take reflexive action, but you end up going off the road, careening into a ravine, flipping your car. You are injured, and nobody saw the accident. Or imagine being in a parking garage in southern California when the San Andreas Fault breaks loose. The parking structure collapses around your car, trapping you in the wreckage. Both are terrible situations.
How can you save yourself? The answer: Location Services.
By broadcasting your signal and your location, emergency crews can save your miserable life. But Congressman Edward Markey of Massachusetts of course does not want that to happen. He is too busy posing in front of the TV cameras and getting blown from hookers sent by RIM to tell the truth.
In addition, any data sent from your phone is ANONYMIZED and AGGREGATED. In short, Apple will not know who you are or where you live. It only is collecting an aggregation of data on the use of a mass of iPhone users and their broader behavior as a GROUP, not you as an individual.
So, you may continue to view your pron on your iPhone as always, if that's what you're worried about. (And yes, I miss-spelled that on purpose.) But don't buy into the crap you read about this issue. Right now, a slew of Apple competitors are freaking out because of the company's success. They never planned for Apple to succeed, and they are deer caught in the headlights. So, in an act of desperation, they are sending their lobbyists in Washington to the sluts on Capitol Hill, and their PR emissaries to plant false stories in the blog sites, which then get syndicated on Google News, and then repeated by "analysts for hire" like Rob Enderle and Jack Gold, who in turn get quoted by the wire services and mainstream media.
In addition, you have vermin like Senator Charles Schumer who use "issues" like this to shake down companies like Apple in order to finance his election campaigns in return for him going silent and retiring the issue, much like Markey may have done.
See how this scam works? Apple is the juicy low-hanging fruit. And you are being played by the media. And where does the media get its news? Not just from the ever-diminishing ranks of reporters. A substantial amount of what passes as news comes from PR sources with an axe to grind.
Don't be a fool. And don't believe everything you read.
The way the media and Congress have played this up shows just how collectively stupid they are, and the paranoia is successfully spreading to people like the individual I have quoted above. The fact is, ALL cell phones broadcast information about you. And while you might think that this means you're in a Will Smith conspiracy-theory movie, you are not. Here is why.
Imagine yourself driving down a road at night. A dog darts into the path of your car. You take reflexive action, but you end up going off the road, careening into a ravine, flipping your car. You are injured, and nobody saw the accident. Or imagine being in a parking garage in southern California when the San Andreas Fault breaks loose. The parking structure collapses around your car, trapping you in the wreckage. Both are terrible situations.
How can you save yourself? The answer: Location Services.
By broadcasting your signal and your location, emergency crews can save your miserable life. But Congressman Edward Markey of Massachusetts of course does not want that to happen. He is too busy posing in front of the TV cameras and getting blown from hookers sent by RIM to tell the truth.
In addition, any data sent from your phone is ANONYMIZED and AGGREGATED. In short, Apple will not know who you are or where you live. It only is collecting an aggregation of data on the use of a mass of iPhone users and their broader behavior as a GROUP, not you as an individual.
So, you may continue to view your pron on your iPhone as always, if that's what you're worried about. (And yes, I miss-spelled that on purpose.) But don't buy into the crap you read about this issue. Right now, a slew of Apple competitors are freaking out because of the company's success. They never planned for Apple to succeed, and they are deer caught in the headlights. So, in an act of desperation, they are sending their lobbyists in Washington to the sluts on Capitol Hill, and their PR emissaries to plant false stories in the blog sites, which then get syndicated on Google News, and then repeated by "analysts for hire" like Rob Enderle and Jack Gold, who in turn get quoted by the wire services and mainstream media.
In addition, you have vermin like Senator Charles Schumer who use "issues" like this to shake down companies like Apple in order to finance his election campaigns in return for him going silent and retiring the issue, much like Markey may have done.
See how this scam works? Apple is the juicy low-hanging fruit. And you are being played by the media. And where does the media get its news? Not just from the ever-diminishing ranks of reporters. A substantial amount of what passes as news comes from PR sources with an axe to grind.
Don't be a fool. And don't believe everything you read.
AT&T also uses your data and sells it. Not YOUR data, but generic phone data on location and vectors. Google will accept your data, instead of buying it from AT&T, but does both.
It's vector information that helps them know if the roads are clogging up. It's what provides Google Maps the information to be able to tell you if a road is busy or not.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/bright-side-of-sitting-in-traffic.html
It is interesting how many people volunteer personal information to people they don't know. It's the Gowalla/FourSquare/Twiter world of full disclosure with people you don't know.
I watched a girl in line at the grocery store chat up another girl and (she) asked what city she was originally from, what college she went to, how old she was, and in kind, told her full name, what bars she likes to attend on what days, and what time she got off of work and where she was going tonight (a party and address).
While this is innocent stuff (sounded like they wanted to date), it doesn't take James Patterson/Dean Koontz/Steig Larsson to write up how this could go bad for someone.
It's vector information that helps them know if the roads are clogging up. It's what provides Google Maps the information to be able to tell you if a road is busy or not.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/bright-side-of-sitting-in-traffic.html
It is interesting how many people volunteer personal information to people they don't know. It's the Gowalla/FourSquare/Twiter world of full disclosure with people you don't know.
I watched a girl in line at the grocery store chat up another girl and (she) asked what city she was originally from, what college she went to, how old she was, and in kind, told her full name, what bars she likes to attend on what days, and what time she got off of work and where she was going tonight (a party and address).
While this is innocent stuff (sounded like they wanted to date), it doesn't take James Patterson/Dean Koontz/Steig Larsson to write up how this could go bad for someone.
No, that is an artifact of AT&T not getting up to the minute data usage throughout the day. If you look at your bill you will see large chunks of "data" being transmitted, but it wont correlate to the times you actually access the network. You can also trigger this upload whenever you disable the cell radio and re-enable it.
If I owned one of these devices, I would turn off the data collection option. And if it was difficult to do, I would complain about it frequently to Apple.
I don't like databases of my behavior being assembled. For example I choose grocery stores that do not require a club card for discounts. And I prefer to pay with cash.
I don't like databases of my behavior being assembled. For example I choose grocery stores that do not require a club card for discounts. And I prefer to pay with cash.
here's my issue
This is my issue (from page 9 of the PDF):
This is my issue (from page 9 of the PDF):
I think it's quite poor they don't let you opt-out/turn off location services specifically for iAd. Instead, you have to disable ALL location services if you don't want to get location-based advertisements. That's bad.
Because Apple is by far the industry leader and the one that gets the most press.
Neat factoid:
Most of those club cards use the same type of bar code, so if you sign up for more than one, you can use the card from a different store when you shop. You get the discounts, but they don't have the slightest idea who is actually buying the stuff associated with that card number.
What's most interesting to me in their reply, is that Apple has built and now uses their own Tower and WiFi database:
Beginning with OS 3.2, Apple no longer sends the WiFi info to Skyhook, or cell id to Google, but to their own servers.
Clearly they're weaning themselves from relying on outside ties.
Did I miss an announcement of this?
Beginning with OS 3.2, Apple no longer sends the WiFi info to Skyhook, or cell id to Google, but to their own servers.
Clearly they're weaning themselves from relying on outside ties.
Did I miss an announcement of this?