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Researchers Disclose iPhone and iPad Location-Tracking Privacy Issues
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In freedom & caution
Obviously one of the attractions of the iPhone for many customers is to remain in contact, to see and be seen. Thus mapping, and the ability to know everyone's geographic location is an advantage.
However, for anyone who cares it should have become increasingly obvious that the possession of a growing list of electronic items, and specifically these phones, entails an automatic erasure of one's privacy insofar as anyone knowing where you are, or have been. Increasingly this is becoming something one has no control over, or option of turning off, other than to distance themselves from such devices.
The consequences are varied. In China and other countries it can be dire, in seeing you potentially locked up or dead. In other regimes the effects more usually opaque, with all the obvious advantages to the user, but often governments taking a keen interest behind the scenes. When one considers how many governments are willing to abuse or kill their citizens for advantage, it is not reassuring to think of the greater tools in surveillance one in effect gives them freely.
Use it wisely.
Obviously one of the attractions of the iPhone for many customers is to remain in contact, to see and be seen. Thus mapping, and the ability to know everyone's geographic location is an advantage.However, for anyone who cares it should have become increasingly obvious that the possession of a growing list of electronic items, and specifically these phones, entails an automatic erasure of one's privacy insofar as anyone knowing where you are, or have been. Increasingly this is becoming something one has no control over, or option of turning off, other than to distance themselves from such devices.
The consequences are varied. In China and other countries it can be dire, in seeing you potentially locked up or dead. In other regimes the effects more usually opaque, with all the obvious advantages to the user, but often governments taking a keen interest behind the scenes. When one considers how many governments are willing to abuse or kill their citizens for advantage, it is not reassuring to think of the greater tools in surveillance one in effect gives them freely.
Use it wisely.
autrefois
macrumors 65816
I feel sad for people who think it's okay for corporations, governments, or any organization to track and log your every move. Even when they apparently don't even bother to protect this information.
If you feel it's okay to be tracked like a tagged animal, that's your right. If you don't value yourself enough to think your privacy is important, go right ahead and feel that way.
But for the rest of us who believe in basic human rights, please don't help erode what little right to privacy we have left. Just because you don't care personally doesn't mean it's not a valid concern. I want the option of not having my every location logged unencrypted on my phone, and from the sound of many posts on this thread, I am definitely not alone.
If you feel it's okay to be tracked like a tagged animal, that's your right. If you don't value yourself enough to think your privacy is important, go right ahead and feel that way.
But for the rest of us who believe in basic human rights, please don't help erode what little right to privacy we have left. Just because you don't care personally doesn't mean it's not a valid concern. I want the option of not having my every location logged unencrypted on my phone, and from the sound of many posts on this thread, I am definitely not alone.
Glad I am not the only person that feels this way. I do not appreciate having another method I can be tracked but at no point I am truly untrackable. The devices in Michigan seem to be a much bigger issue than someone else knowing what time my last trip to subway was at.
The idea of a person truly having privacy is almost a joke. This little bit that we have left I feel is more of an illusion than something we actually have. People seem to be more than willing to track their entire lives on the internet without even being asked to do so. If you want some privacy the closest you are going to get is moving out into the country without a phone, gas, or electricity and live off what you can grow or hunt. Otherwise you are already tracked beyond what anyone that thinks about it should probably be comfortable with. This will not change what you will do in the next little bit though. I am quite sure you are still going to at least continue to use your debit card.
Awesome....
Looks like I need to go and rehide some things that I buried in the woods..... with my phone off this time..... jk.
Looks like I need to go and rehide some things that I buried in the woods..... with my phone off this time..... jk.
I was wondering this myself.. what if you sell your device to someone else, does it retain that tracking info?
No accident
'Apple can legitimately claim that it has permission to collect the data: near the end of the 15,200-word terms and conditions for its iTunes program, used to synchronize with iPhones, iPods and iPads, is an 86-word paragraph about "location-based services".
It says that "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."' [1]
It would seem that far from being an accident that Apple has purposefully designed its products to track all mobile customers for business purposes.
Although there in the fine print, if this the only notice given their customers, and not otherwise publicized, then it might be said that Apple's intent was to conduct this surveillance in secret.
While this data is automatically transferred to one's computer when syncing the iPhone or iPad, etc., that since these items capable of transmitting, and this data often most valuable in the moment, that the purpose to track all devices, and indeed their owners, in an on-going live basis, 24/7.
If no mention of this, it should also be noted that any other interested party, particularly any government, would probably have live moment to moment knowledge of one's whereabouts via these devices. With governments, the legal ability to do so would depend on jurisdiction, although increasingly governments take this as a matter of right. Technically these devices are capable of supplying the data live, the only limitation if software allowed live transfer, but if Apple capable of this than any other agency as well. One would not be aware of such surveillance, possibly ever, or perhaps only informed of it months or years later.
That this even an issue apparently only due the accidental discovery by Mr. Warden and Allan. But the design and implementation no accident.
'Apple can legitimately claim that it has permission to collect the data: near the end of the 15,200-word terms and conditions for its iTunes program, used to synchronize with iPhones, iPods and iPads, is an 86-word paragraph about "location-based services".
It says that "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."' [1]
It would seem that far from being an accident that Apple has purposefully designed its products to track all mobile customers for business purposes.Although there in the fine print, if this the only notice given their customers, and not otherwise publicized, then it might be said that Apple's intent was to conduct this surveillance in secret.
While this data is automatically transferred to one's computer when syncing the iPhone or iPad, etc., that since these items capable of transmitting, and this data often most valuable in the moment, that the purpose to track all devices, and indeed their owners, in an on-going live basis, 24/7.
If no mention of this, it should also be noted that any other interested party, particularly any government, would probably have live moment to moment knowledge of one's whereabouts via these devices. With governments, the legal ability to do so would depend on jurisdiction, although increasingly governments take this as a matter of right. Technically these devices are capable of supplying the data live, the only limitation if software allowed live transfer, but if Apple capable of this than any other agency as well. One would not be aware of such surveillance, possibly ever, or perhaps only informed of it months or years later.
That this even an issue apparently only due the accidental discovery by Mr. Warden and Allan. But the design and implementation no accident.
1) 'iPhone keeps record of everywhere you go,' UK Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/20/iphone-tracking-prompts-privacy-fears
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/20/iphone-tracking-prompts-privacy-fears
Apple's letter to the US Gov. about this data
I haven't read through all 13 (and growing!) pages of response to see if someone has already posted this, but...
Here's Apple's response to Joe Barton in the US Senate on Apple location-based information policy, etc.:
http://markey.house.gov/docs/applemarkeybarton7-12-10.pdf
I haven't read through all 13 (and growing!) pages of response to see if someone has already posted this, but...
Here's Apple's response to Joe Barton in the US Senate on Apple location-based information policy, etc.:
http://markey.house.gov/docs/applemarkeybarton7-12-10.pdf
Interesting - according to iPhoneTracker my iPhone appears to have taken a trip to Las Vegas between 6/23/10 and 6/30/10.
I've never been to Las Vegas. I was in San Francisco that whole week ... honest.
Anyway, I've been using encrypted backups, and iPhoneTracker couldn't read my backup until I disabled encrypted backups and resync'ed so doing that will protect you from third parties, if not Apple.
I've never been to Las Vegas. I was in San Francisco that whole week ... honest.
Anyway, I've been using encrypted backups, and iPhoneTracker couldn't read my backup until I disabled encrypted backups and resync'ed so doing that will protect you from third parties, if not Apple.
Guys did you also know that if you went to the photo album and choose by location it'll show you exactly where you took that picture of you engaging in underage drinking .
EVERYBODY PANIC!1!!
EVERYBODY PANIC!1!!
I also need help with this. It keeps bring up my ipad2 which has been home it's whole life. The phone would be cool to see.
Gawd you're an ass.
I don't mind being tracked because I don't care if people know. I have nothing to hide. If I would have something to hide, it probably would be to people who don't have access to the information at all.
It's only in my close social circles where I might want to keep a lid on things they know. But who the hell cares if someone I will never come into contact with, directly or indirectly, has access to a file which shows where my phone has been?
Way to make a problem out of nothing.
I do wonder how many guys will be borrowing their wives phones tonight to do an "update" on it, as they dump their whereabouts for the last year though.
I am 100% with you, if anyone is bored enough to track my non-eventful movements for the last year have at it. Heck if they ask nicely I might send them the file. I feel bad for them.
OK now THIS is interesting. I ran the application:
How weird.
I got my iPhone the first week of release.
Mine shows my town I live in (many, many places), two vacation spots (florida and south texas also many places).
HOWEVER - here's a very unusual location in the database that I've never visited that apparently my iPhone has:
-northwest Las Vegas, Nevada has 24 different cell towers this phone supposedly contacted at some point.
-another 6 goes almost all the way to Indian Springs not far from Area 51 along highway 95.
-There are three contacts near the Corn Creek Dunes to the northeast off US 95.
-another 4 show four tower contacts along NV 157.
-Nothing shows up south of CC 215 in Las Vegas.
Does Apple test phones in Las Vegas or Area 51 before they are shipped to customers? I'm really intrigued now. Or, does my phone hop a plane in the middle of the night to vacation in Las Vegas.
Anyone else see places you've never visited that show up in your phones little secret map?
How weird.
I got my iPhone the first week of release.
Mine shows my town I live in (many, many places), two vacation spots (florida and south texas also many places).
HOWEVER - here's a very unusual location in the database that I've never visited that apparently my iPhone has:
-northwest Las Vegas, Nevada has 24 different cell towers this phone supposedly contacted at some point.
-another 6 goes almost all the way to Indian Springs not far from Area 51 along highway 95.
-There are three contacts near the Corn Creek Dunes to the northeast off US 95.
-another 4 show four tower contacts along NV 157.
-Nothing shows up south of CC 215 in Las Vegas.
Does Apple test phones in Las Vegas or Area 51 before they are shipped to customers? I'm really intrigued now. Or, does my phone hop a plane in the middle of the night to vacation in Las Vegas.
Anyone else see places you've never visited that show up in your phones little secret map?
Yep, my phone likes vegas too! I've not been there with this phone though!
It also said I've been some other places I've never actually been.
Bad on the developer of the app to obfuscate the data - unless the data is already obfuscated in the backup and they didn't want to let onto that (pertinent) fact...
It's common sense to know that these devices will track you and transmit your habits. Pc's do the same thing. market research depends on the invasion of privacy. It will only get worse. From iphone tracking to being fingerprinted at Disney World. This is the country that people have 'allowed' to develop. They only push the limits because most people are comfortable with it. 'Officials' can see you naked at the airport now. Most people are okay with that. it doesn't take long for these events that not even 15 years ago would have been imaginable. To become normal. Well, at least the ipad doesn't take blood samples! But the police do in the UK. And they don't even need proper reason.
But I do love my iphone.
And yet, Android phones do not do this. So it must be Apple common sense.
Did you fly over Las Vegas with your phone not in airplane mode?
If not, then the cell ids were swapped with another location (it happens) or the cell id database was goofed up.
i made a googlemaps based version, with non reduced accuracy and the option to load the consolidated.db from the filesystem
check it out
http://mac-and-i.blogspot.com/2011/04/myphonetracker-analyze-iphone.html
check it out
http://mac-and-i.blogspot.com/2011/04/myphonetracker-analyze-iphone.html
I can't believe how many of you are OK with this. You spend hundreds on a phone, 75 on up for monthly usage, and on top of it they track and store your movements for reasons unknown without any consent or knowledge on your part.
It's really time for consumers and potentially the government to step up and put a stop to this. No one has a right to any information they don't willingly ask for and you don't willingly provide - and a 20 page EULA isn't acceptable.
It's really time for consumers and potentially the government to step up and put a stop to this. No one has a right to any information they don't willingly ask for and you don't willingly provide - and a 20 page EULA isn't acceptable.
But... wait
Everyone is fine with their Navman or TomTom or Garmin GPS device recording the very same information...
So a core function of the GPS hardware is as such to keep the record...
Everyone is fine with their Navman or TomTom or Garmin GPS device recording the very same information...
So a core function of the GPS hardware is as such to keep the record...
