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Apple Testifies on Mobile Privacy, Location Cache Encryption Coming to iOS
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But are we really so paranoid to think that Apple HQ is tracking our every move?
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bikemonkey
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But it was stated by Apple (link not at hand I'm afraid) that it cached WiFi/cell towers up to 100 miles away. So, really, nothing substantial can be proven. Also, let's not forget that (AFAIK) it's only caching the location of the hotspots and not the triangulated data of your exact position.
That all said and done, if you're really bothered about this kind of stuff then you shouldn't be using your computer to surf the net...
BaldiMac said:
But it was stated by Apple (link not at hand I'm afraid) that it cached WiFi/cell towers up to 100 miles away. So, really, nothing substantial can be proven. Also, let's not forget that (AFAIK) it's only caching the location of the hotspots and not the triangulated data of your exact position.
That all said and done, if you're really bothered about this kind of stuff then you shouldn't be using your computer to surf the net...
They are tracking our location - there is nothing paranoid about it.
Sorry, but history has proven this wrong....over and over.
In every discussion about personal privacy someone inevitably makes this insipid statement, proving that there will always be those who will never get it.
1) personally (and I mean, as concerns my person) the doesn't worry me anyway, but...
2) this seems an important precedent set, and I'm thankful it's been set on the side of personal privacy...
3) because this is not just an Apple concern...
4) but insofar as it does concern Apple, it reminds me how slated this site is (I'm fine with it; still here and commenting and all that) that MR reports Apple is "of course" erring on the side of caution (etc)...
5) which brings me to the end of my numbers.
2) this seems an important precedent set, and I'm thankful it's been set on the side of personal privacy...
3) because this is not just an Apple concern...
4) but insofar as it does concern Apple, it reminds me how slated this site is (I'm fine with it; still here and commenting and all that) that MR reports Apple is "of course" erring on the side of caution (etc)...
5) which brings me to the end of my numbers.
No... Wrong... They are recording "a location" not a specific person or a specific location either. Just a cell tower that has connected to an iPhone. Anything more than that is paranoia.
But that does not make it the rule. Only someone with a paranoid conspiracy attitude would think only the worst can be happening.
Funny... A lot of people here are worried about non-descript, non user specific location data, but yet, no one is up in arms that organizations like the FBI monitor internet traffic for IP address access to see who's visiting certain web sites. To me, that is more troubling. That is "big brother" watching you, not some computer company trying to give you better service, or better map data.
I'm vaguely curious as to why this member frequents an Apple fan site only to make essentially 100% anti-Apple comments.
Again, in the right hands, this can be very informational. Since they are recording it on a teachable iPhone, in the right hands this can link a person to a location.
I learned along time ago to pray for the best but plan for the worst.
Seriously.
As far as I know, and correct me if I'm wrong, Apple doesn't gather our private information then sell it to advertisers without asking or letting us know the way facebook and google do ...
I really find it curious...the folks on here who are so indignant about this...have no issues going online, exposing their IP address to the world....thereby giving their location to the world.
Sure, they could use a proxy to hide their location...but did they think about that? No, they want to bitch about what Apple does (or doesn't do).
Honestly, what do you want Apple to do? They fixed the problem, and are going to take an additional step as outlined in the testimony. If this is such a problem for you, then perhaps you do not need a mobile phone of any kind. Think this is an iPhone or Android issue only? Any cell phone can be tracked, given the right circumstances.
The FUD is just too great.
Sure, they could use a proxy to hide their location...but did they think about that? No, they want to bitch about what Apple does (or doesn't do).
Honestly, what do you want Apple to do? They fixed the problem, and are going to take an additional step as outlined in the testimony. If this is such a problem for you, then perhaps you do not need a mobile phone of any kind. Think this is an iPhone or Android issue only? Any cell phone can be tracked, given the right circumstances.
The FUD is just too great.
True. If you plan for the worst you'll be pleasantly surprised more often. "You can't be let down if you don't expect the world."
Many years ago, I was one of the US Army's top direction finders. An exact location isn't necessary to extract lots of helpful data. Sometimes just the general vicinity will do.
For extreme example, consider if such info had been used to help find bin Laden's courier's travels. It wouldn't be necessary to know all his exact coordinates. Just knowing the towns or heck, even the country in this case, is a huge benefit.
More down to earth, knowing the town where a battered wife goes, knowing that a suspected undercover agent goes to DC, knowing that a spouse visits their ex's city, knowing where your employees were at any hour... any such general location tracking can be powerful info.
Yes, I think it was pretty innocent data collection. No, it's not entirely without possible harmful side effects, albeit for only a small portion of the population.
No, but Apple under Jobs is highly prone to misdirection, which is why they kept the spotlight on that file, not on other collection files.
That's correct. Apple's not tracking people exactly. However, they do keep a record of the zip codes you've done location based requests from, in order to better serve ads to you.
As for that particular database file, the info came from Apple, so there was no reason to send it back.
However, the phone does at times record its exact GPS location and any nearby hotspots or cells, for later transmission to Apple. We are where the later downloaded crowd-sourced info comes from, after all.
LOL! You do realize ANY CELL PHONE can link a person to an approximate location! LOL!
Did you ever look at your data from an iPhone? I looked at mine. OMG... someone can find out I sort of live in about a 2 mile radius! LOL! They should just look me up in the phone book. It would be quicker! LOL!
BTW... I'm so confient that the file saved on the iPhone shows nothing of any value, I'll send mine to anyone who wants it... if they can even get my town right I'd be surprised!
Hummm... I would have thought Pray for the worst for Apple and plan for their doom for you.
LOL! Sorry... more misinformation!
If I want to track someone, I can steal their phone and try to get their iPhone file to see about where they've gone, or I can put a $50 transponder on someones car and know EXACTLY where they've been. LOL!
The record of zip codes or more precise GPS data for ads or any function associated with a specific user is only taken on the opt-in bases. Apple made that clear and it's clear in the developers kit and has been since the beginning.
Exact location data is taken anonymously by Apple and Google for traffic data. Google says they take it about every 20 mins and Apple says about once every several hours.
Wrong... it's generated on the phone as a local cache of your cell towers. The phone is all that uses it so it can anticipate towers for switching.
Please people... where is all this misinformation coming from? It's like people keep making things up and it snowballs.
And yet, there are more useful data already on the phone, and identical data available from the provider (for cops) that are easier and faster to access.
This is absolute paranoid delusions, and has been since the first story broke a week ago or whenever. Absolutely crazy, just read Full of Win's posts in this thread. Can't believe he's willing to post on the internet at all with his conspiracy paranoia. It's like you're all in a Bond film, let's find the hardest way to kill (track) someone instead of just picking up a gun (actual location data from Maps and other apps) and shooting them.
And APPARENTLY, no one can seem to remember that theft or 4th Amendment searches are the only way to get ACCESS to the file in the first place. Every paranoid post makes it sound like this file is emailed to every person on the planet every day.
The illogic is running beyond rampant this week. It's insane.
Yes, by Federal law, cell phones have to be locatable to a degree. However, the difference, the big difference, that you gloss over is accessibility of the data. There is a layer of protection that surrounds the location data from my iPhone (and iPad) logged in this way with the telco verses none with the logging of location done by Apple that is stored locally on the computer and device. Another point that you seem to not mention is disclosure. It is well know that phones are tracked to a degree as part of E911. However, what Apple did, collecting location data for its own purposes even after location services was turned off, was not disclosed to the user. This was wrong.
You're saying there's no "layer of protection" when someone has to physically access your phone or computer? I'd be more concerned with something completely out of my control (phone company access to information) vs. something I have *some* control of (not losing my phone and locking my door so people can't enter and access my home computer).