Federal Lawsuit Filed Over Apple's Location Tracking in iOS [Updated]

[Michaelgtrusa]

Not surprised.

 

[Number 41]

People are idiotic.

I'll bet half of the idiots out there whining about this blindly log in to Facebook, twitter, and foursquare on a daily basis and don't give a whit about their privacy.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Who funded the original research?

I'm interested in who funded this research project much to do about nothing and when will this research extend to all the Telcos, corporations and more.

 

[inhrntlyunstabl]

1984 was 27 years ago, get over it

I always wonder what people are thinking...

"Apple <or insert any evil corporation or government entity> has 100s millions of customers, but I bet they've singled me out for tracking with the black helicopters and vans because I make $25,000 a year and have access to the a state of the art Camry and have 2.5 kids."

or

"Those bastards at Apple <or insert again> are trying to figure out what I like to buy with their Genius tracking the songs I download, ads I click on, etc. to try to target ads and future products at me! Those sons of bitches!"

People, 1984 was long ago. You have no privacy unless you don't live in society, e.g unabomber. Get over yourself, you are not so special Apple is paying any specific attention to you. They want to know how many 1000s of people are at your Starbucks, but not you. Otherwise, encrypt your backups, chain your iPhone, iPad, Macs and PCs to your wrist, and shoot at anyone that looks over your shoulder.

Besides, the iPhone Software License Agreement is pretty solid on this front. The only hole to fill is why it might still be logging when Location Services is disabled. But at end of the day, this is a tiny tiny aspect of a much much larger issue - we use technology that will track what we do, influence us, etc. We have to learn to accept this. It's going to be impossible to stop this. Get over it.

 

[tray3]

Cry Babies!!

 

[progx]

Wow! There are some VERY stupid people out there. Any phone that transmits GPS or has to locate the next available tower signal is GOING TO TRACK your phone.

Your computer's IP address is a tracking tool as well. Let's sue everyone for trying to make other people's lives easier.

 

[Dusky600]

pffttt

totally expected. theres always a gold digger out there

on another note. people should **** and buy a basic phone and cancel there internet subscription if there paranoid to this point, they should probably also stop using there iphones, someone should go there and take there iphones away "your whinning about it so no phones for you !" cause i bet there still using them like theres no tomorrow

 

[robbyx]

This suit has merit. If I turn off location services there should be no record of where I go.

Why would you assume that turning off location services would prevent tracking? The phone is still connected to the cell network. I'd assume Airplane Mode would turn off tracking, but not location services.

With that and other simple info I can find out where you work, where you bank, where you live, what time you usually get home. All it takes is one website or email attachment to compromise your device. This info is not encrypted.

I do think if Any device does this they should be sued

First, someone would have to obtain your phone. No one seems to mention this. Big bad Apple is tracking us all!!! Apple isn't tracking anyone. The phone is logging location information for some reason, perhaps legit, perhaps a bug, perhaps test code that got left behind, who knows. The point is, your location isn't compromised unless someone steals your phone.

And if they steal your phone, they'll have your address book, your web bookmarks, your email, your notes, etc.

Suing over this is idiotic and really shows how absurd this whole "privacy" debate has become. Scott McNealy said it best years ago: "Privacy is dead. Get over it."

 

[samcraig]

1. the lawsuit may have merit HOWEVER - the restitution being sought is silly because I am sure that the two people suing could have or still could return their devices for a refund or store credit.

2. If this was a suit brought up against Google for the same thing - those defending Apple would be ripping Google (or anyone else) a new one. But clearly because it's Apple being targeted it's a witch hunt?

3.the iPhone 4 had an antenna issue. Steve flat out said so. He said that ALL phones have an issue. That doesn't negate the iPhone having one. Oh - but this was LONG after his email to me (and others) that there was NO issue. Backpeddled on that one only after Consumer Reports refused to give the iPhone a good review. Suddenly there was a press conference and finger pointing (poorly) at every other phone manufacturer

I suspect the same will happen here. Apple will be in the cross hairs. Justifiably or not. And when push comes to shove - they will throw anyone and everyone under the bus (ATT, Google, etc) for doing the same thing.

 

[err404]

With that and other simple info I can find out where you work, where you bank, where you live, what time you usually get home...

Have you looked at the actual data? I doubt it could be used to determine any of those things.
First it logs tower locations, not your location. This means that the data points can be off by miles.
Next the towers are not logged every you are in range. In fact weeks or months can go by between data point refreshes. This makes the data useless for observing user movement trends.
Lastly the data contains a lot of anomalies that further cloud the results. I have data on my phone from nearby cities that I have never visited, and some even hundreds of miles away.

 

[nickspohn]

If you notice, Congress has been conspicuously absent since sending off a letter to Steven P. Jobs.

Actually they haven't.

 

[wonderspark]

I gotta get off this grid, man. Apple was following me all morning.

Every time I turned a corner, there was a dark VW with an Apple sticker on it. Then I started noticing dark Audis with that Apple on it... everywhere. This is in Boulder, by the way.

Suddenly, I realized over half the people around me had those white ear buds on. I freaked out and started walking as fast as I could, but they were everywhere... I turned a corner and broke into a full sprint, and ran zig-zags all the way through the Pearl Street Mall area, but I couldn't escape Apple. I threw my iPhone into a fountain and ran to my bike, unlocked it as fast as I could, and pedaled as hard as I could to the farmhouse basement where I live.

I though I was safe, but my roommate was there... with a new MacBook Pro.

Help me...

 

[8CoreWhore]

GOOD!!

If Apple is not doing it, then they'll have to explain what is going on.

How rude and arrogant for them to not come clean and just address the questions head-on.

They owe us an explanation. We have a right to know what the device do and do not do.

 

[robbyx]

They owe us an explanation. We have a right to know what the device do and do not do.

You have a RIGHT? Really? And where does that RIGHT come from? The only right you have is the right to choose another product if you don't like something about the one you're using.

Stop whining. The phone doesn't even track you. As others have pointed out, the data is cell tower based, not GPS. The phone only logs the same kind of information your cell company already logs.

 

[wprowe]

Apple's Privacy Policy

Doesn't anyone read their agreements anymore?

http://www.apple.com/privacy/

Look at the section on Location-based Services. You agree that Apple can track your specific location including GPS data.

Location-Based Services

To provide location-based services on Apple products, Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device. This location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services. For example, we may share geographic location with application providers when you opt in to their location services.

Some location-based services offered by Apple, such as the MobileMe “Find My iPhone” feature, require your personal information for the feature to work.

 

[Tom359]

Could not agree more....

This is why we need a "loser pays" system.

This would get rid if the "I'm going to sue you so you pay money to go away becuase it's cheaper than paying the legal bills." Our system has been corrupted by these nuisance law suits.

 

[andiwm2003]

How does an encrypted db aide your sense of security when the information is about publicly listed cell towers [FCC registered], and ends up at Google which profiles your activities for trends which then allows them to resell this information through their AdSense service and more?

How did your sense of security become violated when the Telcos have historically sold your contact information to third parties who flood your mail box with junk mail and get you on lists w/o your consent? Does it send you through the roof that your liberties are being violated?

Do you scream at Safeway, Albertsons, Starbucks and every other business that profiles your buying habits that it pushes you to file a class action lawsuit?

I think not.

This and all subsequent lawsuits will be thrown out. Apple is in compliance with the FCC rules and regulations set by Congress.

................................................................................................................................).

You are correct in these points.

However the fact that someone with physical access to my cell phone can figure out that I visited a certain city several times and can derive easily with what client I had negotiations is a big concern. This is true for a lot of professionals.

Then there is of course the case where you told your spouse you were in Kentucky working while your cell phone shows that you were in Vegas four times this month......

This information is of course for a person who specifically targets you much easier to get through stealing your iPhone than through hacking into Google or ATT. This case is different from random data collection by Starbucks in that someone with very little resources can target you.

Case in point: My GF has a few crazy stalkers who could find out from this data base where she actually spends most of her time. They are mentally challenged creeps who have no way to do this through hacking into ATT but they could steal her stuff at her public appearances. They actually showed up there.

Therefore this location database needs to be encrypted. It seems that many of you think these concerns do not exist or are irrelevant. I'm surprised by this.

 

[tdmac]

I think most people are missing this key bit of info - Location Services was turned off and the database was purged, and it still made a new database with new data...

No one is missing anything here. You as well as the Wall Street Journal are confusing "Location Services" with this database.

Location Services are those that provide data from 3rd party providers based on your location. Your date "IS" passed to them of where you are currently located so that they can provide you results on things in your area. i.e. Movie Schedules, Four Square, etc.

This database "locally" stores your proximity to cell towers and wifi antenna's.

 

[samcraig]

You have a RIGHT? Really? And where does that RIGHT come from? The only right you have is the right to choose another product if you don't like something about the one you're using.

Stop whining. The phone doesn't even track you. As others have pointed out, the data is cell tower based, not GPS. The phone only logs the same kind of information your cell company already logs.

Normally I would argue that the customer doesn't have a right to a lot of things. But in this case - if you bought a device and it is tracking you (I'm not saying it is or it isn't) - the customer does have a right to know.

This (sort of) reminds me of how now your are legally allowed to get a free credit report once a year to determine whether or not it's correct. Companies used to make a fortune charging for something that people, inherently had the right to know.

 

[AppliedVisual]

This is so incredibly stupid, it's mind-numbing.

Edit> I deleted the rest of my post. I see no reason to comment further.

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

Guess we all now know what that new data center is going to be used for now.

 

[Vegasman]

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.

Unless one of his malicious Geniuses lifts it off your daughters device when it's in for repair.

Maybe the Genius is pissed off at your daughter (for no good reason of course). And maybe there is something in the database that can be used to create a nice little story to circulate around school. The kind of story nobody likes to hear about their daughter. The story doesn't have to be true because you know a little circumstantial evidence here and there... It adds up... And you know how kids are...

Well, maybe it won't happen to YOU, but with enough iDevices out there, the stars will line up for somebody.

All Apple has to do is follow what they teach you in computer privacy school: Secure personal information by default. It's simple really.

 

[the vj]

The pandoras box is open...

What is going to happen is that every company that collect/ sells your private information is violating the law.

It is not the iPhone but yes... the spam mail and spam email. They are getting my private information and giving it to anyone.

What Apple is doing is just what everybody does.

 

[Doctor Q]

Nike+iPod must be an even more serious privacy violation. After all, it knows how fast I'm going and my calories burned. And it sends the data to nikeplus.com!

Yeah, both iPhone/iPod and Nike+iPod store the information only on my device and sync it only to my other devices, sending it elsewhere only if I want. But if I can make money by suing about it then I'll ignore those inconvenient facts!

 

[Arcus]

TThis is so incredibly stupid, it's mind-numbing. All because a couple whistle-blowers decided to point out the obvious, to detract from Apple's quarterly sales and earnings announcement. Anyway, the lawsuit is completely flawed. I'm all for privacy, I love privacy. I'm an iOS developer and I know about the location tracking in iOS. Not that big of deal, in fact, if you answer "no" to the prompts when the phone asks if it's OK to use your current location, then nothing is sample, tracked or stored.

Luckily I got your post before you deleted it. On the:

Not that big of deal, in fact, if you answer "no" to the prompts when the phone asks if it's OK to use your current location, then nothing is sampled, tracked or stored.

That is so wrong I doubt you are even a developer.