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And even if they did, what would they do with it? Go to my friends house and come visit me at my address? All that information has been in the local phone book for decades.

They couldn't even do that ... the locations in that database are so fuzzy that they couldn't find your house - they might get an idea which area you live in, but that is information they can find more reliable on the internet.
 
... sorry, but in what ways do I benefit by having apple track my whereabouts to the day and meter? why isn't there an opt-in (apart from the general 'eat **** or die' TOU) or at least an opt-out for this? why is it so easy to access the data?

... apple deserves to get a beating for this.
they're known for focussing on the user in terms of design and UI of theirdevices... they should also make the step to focus on their users best interest in terms of privacy and freedom, rather than their own greed.

Clearly you don't understand the issue. Since they do not collect this data, Apple is NOT tracking you. Rather your phone is generating a local cache of nearby cell towers and wifi hotspots. This benefits you by making your phones GPS function faster, more accurately and with less battery.

The issue is that the cache is not properly protected and could be used to infer some generalized information about roughly where your phone has been. This data is only accessible by somebody with direct access to your phone, or you phones backup files.

As a side note, your cell provider logs more detailed location data and does provide this data to law enforcement and third party agencies.
 
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What I don't understand is even if Apple is tracking us, why did Steve Jobs simply lie about the claims, thats whats fishy about all this..
 
I'm not from the US so if someone with some legal background over there could point out to me how this would work..? Where I'm from you have to have suffered damages in order to sue someone, otherwise a government regulator would just impose a fine on the company or require them to stop what they are doing..? How have these people (who are suing apple) suffered losses as a result of this apparent spying technology..?

IANAL, but AFAIK, here in America, having rights infringed upon is reason for sueing. That, in itself, is a "damage". Hence why Apple is being sued. They apparently are infringing upon the consumers' rights to privacy.
 
Good. Hopefully Apple takes action to change this and set up an open process for monitoring what is tracked. The lawsuit would hopefully be dropped at that point.

This isn't good and has to stop.
 
And even if they did, what would they do with it? Go to my friends house and come visit me at my address? All that information has been in the local phone book for decades.

and if someone wanted to use this information for criminal purposes to track you, they would have to have first tracked you anyway in order to get your phone or computer from you to get this information so then what really is the point?!
 
... sorry, but in what ways do I benefit by having apple track my whereabouts to the day and meter? why isn't there an opt-in (apart from the general 'eat **** or die' TOU) or at least an opt-out for this? why is it so easy to access the data?
And any cellular provider is tracking and storing your whereabouts equally.

The difference is that MSP might storing this for billing purposes or even because it is mandated by law (for use by law enforcement). If Apple has no need for these data (which they do not have if they are not transmitted to them), they should not store them.
 
Number 1: Apple is apparently labeling the reports as false
Number 2: Who even cares if Apple or Google or Microsoft or any corporation is tracking our location? What things are you involved in where you would even care? What harm could their knowledge of that information cause you? (apart from the crackpot theories of paranoid people)...
People will sue for anything these days and hopefully legislation will be passed soon to stop the ridiculousness.

Its none of your business what things I'm involved in and want hidden. Its my right to privacy so back off.
 
What I don't understand is even if Apple is tracking us, why did Steve Jobs simply lie about the claims, thats whats fishy about all this..

Because Apple is not tracking you. Apple does not get any of that data, they will never see or touch it. It is data that is stored locally on your phone out of reach from everyone except you. "Apple tracks you" would mean that the phone is sending the data 'home', but it doesn't. APPLE HAS NO IDEA WHERE THE F YOU ARE OR WERE (and they probably couldn't care less)
 
I think this IS a privacy issue. That data could end up in the wrong hands. Does anyone store a text document on their iPhone with a list of their bank details and passwords? No, because it could end up in the wrong hands. So could this data that's being collected.

This data shouldn't be recorded without permission, no matter what's being done with it.

And the next time somebody calls you, make sure you get their permission to store their phone number. Don't want to record their data without their consent.
 
What I don't understand is even if Apple is tracking us, why did Steve Jobs simply lie about the claims, thats whats fishy about all this..

he didn't lie, Apple isn't tracking people, because the information doesn't get sent to Apple so his response was correct and truthful.
 
This makes me laugh. A couple of months back people were complaining about suspicious information going out at random hours of the morning. Now we've just heard our iPhones/iPods are taking down our random locations, Coincidence ? :p
 
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The information is used to make your phone connect faster and to the best sources given your usual pattern of behavior. It is also used for forensic evidence against and for you in legal court.
 
Those two people just want their "15 minutes of fame", be interesting to see how this plays out.
 
As a consumer, why should I be subjected to this risk which doesn't benefit me in the slightest? And why should this data be "backed up," secretly, to my computer?

The Wall Street Journal has found, however, that this newly-publicized database is constructed even when location services are turned off entirely.

From the front page of macrumors, for all those who've said to turn off location services.

This IS the type of thing that should be ruled on before a real problem develops.
 
They're suing...doesn't mean it'll go to court. They may find there's not enough grounds for suit, and deny...
 
Clearly you don't understand the issue. Apple is not tracking you since they do not collect this data. Rather your phone is generating a local cache of nearby cell towers and wifi hotspots. This benefits you by making your phones GPS function faster, more accurately and with less battery.
The issue is that the cache is not properly protected and could be used to infer some generalized information about roughly where your phone has been. This data is only accessible by somebody with direct access to your phone, or you phones backup files.
Why do people like that the data on their phones is encrypted and can be remotely wiped? Because it all too likely that something on your phone should not fall into somebody else's hand.
Enabling encryption of the phone by default is just taking reasonable precautions. Creating this data log (by which I mean not deleting any but the most recent entries) is not taking what would be a very reasonable precaution.

I always wondered why the option to encrypt the iPhone backup was there. What data would be on my iPhone but not on my computer (e-mails, browsing history, all sorts of passwords are generally both on my iPhone and my computer). Now I know of one reason, that Apple (or a third-party app) might without my knowledge create databases relating to my phone usage that are more critical than the rest of the data on my computer.

The point is that I would have assumed that any app or part of the OS creating a database would be open and transparent about it.
 
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I think this IS a privacy issue. That data could end up in the wrong hands. Does anyone store a text document on their iPhone with a list of their bank details and passwords? No, because it could end up in the wrong hands. So could this data that's being collected.

This data shouldn't be recorded without permission, no matter what's being done with it.

Dude... what the heck are the "wrong hands" going to do with it? Visit the same 7-11 you go to and buy a Slurpie?
 
Its none of your business what things I'm involved in and want hidden. Its my right to privacy so back off.

That's why the information is stored locally and can't be accessed by third parties. The information IS private. Unless a device of yours is stolen, in which case almost anything can be done or accessed.
 
And the next time somebody calls you, make sure you get their permission to store their phone number. Don't want to record their data without their consent.

They consented to me retaining their data when they didn't block their number before calling. Which is possible and an option. There was no option for this "tracking list" other than a stupid TOS that you can't op out of partially.
 
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macaddiict said:
money grubbers

I agree, Apple is pretty ridiculous at times.

That must be who you meant, since you clearly haven't had time to read the lawsuit yet.

Or do you think all lawsuits are 'money grubbers'?

Hey was probably talking about the money grubbers filing the lawsuit
 
I think this IS a privacy issue. That data could end up in the wrong hands. Does anyone store a text document on their iPhone with a list of their bank details and passwords? No, because it could end up in the wrong hands. So could this data that's being collected.

This data shouldn't be recorded without permission, no matter what's being done with it.

Location data == bank details and passwords? -- I think not.
 
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