Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
A useful reminder that the internet is 99% scams and thieves, and that percentage is rounded down pretty aggressively

Life360's privacy policy extensively identifies how the company uses and shares customer data. If someone is uncomfortable with how their data may be used, they don't have to use the product. How exactly are people being scammed or robbed?
 
Yes, it's almost like people are unhappy with a system that allows companies to bury details like "we're going to sell your precise location data to anyone that wants it" with legalese in the TOS.

Here's the Tile TOS. Raise your hand if you think the average user has the time, patience, and legal knowledge to actually understand everything they're agreeing to just to be able to activate a $25 device that helps them find their misplaced keys:


Call them 'shocked' or whatever you want, but this is the public pushing back on these kinds of policies.
Any device that can track my location would be one I'd review the real terms for. Just like any medication or something with a big potential impact on me may be something I want to really review before use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bradl
Life360's privacy policy extensively identifies how the company uses and shares customer data. If someone is uncomfortable with how their data may be used, they don't have to use the product. How exactly are people being scammed or robbed?

Their privacy policy likely doesn’t tell a full enough story to let consumers make an informed decision.

For example, nothing is stopping the companies whom Life360 sells their data to from repacking this data and then selling the insight gleaned to other entities, from government agencies to investment funds. For example, data on teenage drivers could be used by insurance firms to review their insurance rates.

Life360 can just raise their hands in the air and claim that they don’t know what happens to the data after it leaves their hands, and therefore cannot be held accountable, but the reality is that once your data is out there, it’s out there.

They likely agreed to purchase Tile for the same reason - they see Tile as a treasure trove of data that they can harvest and sell. So what happens to existing tile users? They didn’t sign up to have their data repurchased by a third party with a history for reselling said data to other companies, that’s for sure. And yet, this is the reality facing them right now.

It also certainly sounds hypocritical of Tile to criticise Apple for not letting them use their platform as they deemed fit, only to subsequently sell themselves to a data harvester who clearly doesn’t have the best interests of their users at heart.

I will go so far as to say that Tile’s actions may well have sounded the death knell for the Bluetooth tracker market. Given the potential privacy ramifications, there is really no reason for iphone users to opt for any alternative other than AirTags, and I suspect this may be one of the reasons why Apple decided to develop and release their own tracker. They saw how much data was flowing out from their platform, and saw there was a market for a more privacy-conscious alternative.

Facebook. Spotify. Tile. Epic. This coalition for fair play could not be made up of a more degenerate den of scum and villainy.
 
I've had a completely different experience than you--the Find My live tracking feature that was added in iOS 15 has worked flawlessly for my family on dozens of iOS and macOS devices from the day it was introduced. I've actually been impressed with how accurate it is when viewing a user traveling through, say, a busy highway interchange where it would be easy for the service to get confused.
That’s good to know. Gives me hope. It worked great for me right out the gate with iOS 15, then broke in 15.1 and of all the features announced for iOS 15, this was what I wanted the most. I’ve seen other threads on here with users having trouble getting it to work too. But I agree, when it worked, it was great. You can disagree with all my posts you want but that doesn’t mean it works for me.

Well, it’s not 100% broken. I get live location from my kids’ iPads which stay at home, so pretty much useless lol. As for my wife, it starts out as “Live” while it’s loading then it switches to “Now” showing an outdated location. She can’t get it to work for me either. Reboots didn’t help but I’ll see what happens if I stop sharing then re-share location with her.
 
Last edited:
No-one said that a person should live their life scared; however, a person shouldn't live life naively as well.

BL.
Naive? I realize the second I send someone anything about me they are likely going to do everything they can to monetize it. I simply don't care. You know why I'm rich? Because I focus on monetizing the things I can, not who monetizes something off me. You people worry about what someone else is doing. I worry about things that materially affect my life and some corporation monetizing your data does not materially affect my life.

As another poster said I couldn't care less if they know I am at In N Out too much.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Itinj24
Their privacy policy likely doesn’t tell a full enough story to let consumers make an informed decision.

I think Life360's privacy policy is detailed enough for people to make an informed decision, if they choose to read it. Those particularly sensitive or concerned about their location data, driving data, etc. probably won't want to use the service after reading the privacy policy. However, others will be more than happy to sign off on the privacy policy as it allows them to get a valuable service (to them) for zero or low cost. A service and savings they feel is worth more than the "cost" of having their data shared.
 
Naive? I realize the second I send someone anything about me they are likely going to do everything they can to monetize it. I simply don't care. You know why I'm rich? Because I focus on monetizing the things I can, not who monetizes something off me. You people worry about what someone else is doing. I worry about things that materially affect my life and some corporation monetizing your data does not materially affect my life.

As another poster said I couldn't care less if they know I am at In N Out too much.

A poster once said this in PRSI, when they quoted Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

It isn't that people care explicitly about what you're doing: at In-n-Out on Sepulveda, at Joia Accessories in the Garment District, paying off someone on Skid Row for catching what you were doing with the side chick/side guy/or otherwise, or legitimately going to make a blood or plasma donation to help those suffering from leukemia. That isn't anyone's business or concern but your own.

In fact, it's even a great thing that you are not trying to care about what is out of your control and care about what you can control. The more the merrier on that, and keep going on that to your heart's content...

But what you can't control to a degree is where you need to go. Again, it isn't what you have to do, but WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO. That is what you can't control (again, to a degree), and if the data on where you go is what is being sold and you're okay with that, that's on you, as that melds with the naivety part of my statement; but also in that same right, you do not have the right to complain when your data from those excursions is exploited.

Those that are speaking up on this now are doing the right thing because they care about what data regarding them is being sold for possible exploitation. They are speaking out about it. But that's okay, because you aren't worried about that...

Then when you do start to care about something that directly affects you, there will be no-one left to speak up for you.

That is the path of hot coals, rose thorns, and broken glass you are starting to step on while completely barefoot. That's your own self-made slippery slope; it's best to tread carefully.

BL.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ericwn
If you have a company that has shady tactics as Life360 does, [especially regarding this article], how can you be so confident that you they ‘will delete your data’? I certainly wouldn’t be.
Exactly. There are legal requirements to Tile keeping their word at this time. Once Life360 takes ownership they can change these policies. So people should take advantage of the policy while it exists.
 
  • Like
Reactions: polaris20
A poster once said this in PRSI, when they quoted Martin Niemoller:



It isn't that people care explicitly about what you're doing: at In-n-Out on Sepulveda, at Joia Accessories in the Garment District, paying off someone on Skid Row for catching what you were doing with the side chick/side guy/or otherwise, or legitimately going to make a blood or plasma donation to help those suffering from leukemia. That isn't anyone's business or concern but your own.

In fact, it's even a great thing that you are not trying to care about what is out of your control and care about what you can control. The more the merrier on that, and keep going on that to your heart's content...

But what you can't control to a degree is where you need to go. Again, it isn't what you have to do, but WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO. That is what you can't control (again, to a degree), and if the data on where you go is what is being sold and you're okay with that, that's on you, as that melds with the naivety part of my statement; but also in that same right, you do not have the right to complain when your data from those excursions is exploited.

Those that are speaking up on this now are doing the right thing because they care about what data regarding them is being sold for possible exploitation. They are speaking out about it. But that's okay, because you aren't worried about that...

Then when you do start to care about something that directly affects you, there will be no-one left to speak up for you.

That is the path of hot coals, rose thorns, and broken glass you are starting to step on while completely barefoot. That's your own self-made slippery slope; it's best to tread carefully.

BL.
I read this same gibberish 10 years ago and said then what I will say now. None of this will have any material affect on your life. People had the same defense as you. 10 years later it has had zero material affect on my life. 10 years from now this will still have zero material affect on my life.My guess is 10 years from now you will continue to remain scared (skeptical) and tell us why we should worry. 10 years after that you will do the same. Sure there are things that one should worry about that will have material affect. Those are things to be focused on. This is a non issue.
 
I read this same gibberish 10 years ago and said then what I will say now. None of this will have any material affect on your life. People had the same defense as you. 10 years later it has had zero material affect on my life. 10 years from now this will still have zero material affect on my life.My guess is 10 years from now you will continue to remain scared (skeptical) and tell us why we should worry. 10 years after that you will do the same. Sure there are things that one should worry about that will have material affect. Those are things to be focused on. This is a non issue.

People said the same thing as you are saying 20 years ago....

What we got for such naivety was the PATRIOT Act, and how much that also affected and interfered with people's lives. I know and have had personal dealings with families all but persecuted for who they are, what they look like, what religions they have.

People said the same thing you are saying 70 years ago.

What we got for such naivety was Emmett Till, Medgar Evars, the Mississippi Burning, segregation, and the like for a good 20 years, until MLK was assassinated...

I'm Black/Choctaw Indian.

You have no idea about how or what someone says or does that can affect your life let alone my life. All because people stood up for people like me. Because of that, we've stood up for other people who were wrongfully treated because of who and what they are.

Just imagine where I would be let alone my wife and children (she's white; my children are interracial) would be because what they did had "zero material affect" on her life. My children wouldn't be here, let alone would I be with her. I mean, none of those actions that happened 70 years ago would have affected her.. 🤦‍♂️

My point: you may call it being "scared" or "skeptical".. In fact, you probably would have called our 1st US Postmaster General the same:

Benjamin Franklin said:
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

He wasn't scared or skeptical of what was going to happen; he knew what was going on in Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War was wrong, despite the fact that he didn't even live in Pennsylvania.. I mean, it didn't materially affect him.

I think we see the problem with your statement there. Scared and Skeptical isn't the problem; being safe and secure in our business and whereabouts are, especially when it comes to what is unwillingly out of our control and against what we may have agreed to with our data.

And to even stretch that even further, we can't even be secure in our 4A rights relative to that data, as while we would have recourse against Tile should it be used against that right, we would NOT have such recourse against Life360, because Life360 wouldn't be pursuant to the agreements people made with Tile.

But wait.. oh yeah, scared and skeptical.. I'll put it this way: caring about what happens to our data and how it affects our lives (which it does) is a lot better than being naive about what could happen and having to deal with the implications and consequences from the fallout AFTER something has happened. It is always better to be proactive to a situation than reactive. If you're reactive, it's too late.

BL.
 
This changes nothing for me. It isn't a zero sum game. If I was going to monetize my data then I would care. I am not and would not so I simply don't care. I worry about furthering my career and financial situation far more than worrying about things like this.
It doesn't need to change anything and you don't need to "worry" about it. But you are monetizing your data...you are trading it for whatever "free" service you use, whether it's Life360 or GMail or Facebook or whatever. Those services aren't free - they collect massive amounts of your personal data. If you feel like you are getting a good value, then, yeah, enjoy. But don't think you aren't monetizing your data...you just don't place much value on it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bradl
It doesn't need to change anything and you don't need to "worry" about it. But you are monetizing your data...you are trading it for whatever "free" service you use, whether it's Life360 or GMail or Facebook or whatever. Those services aren't free - they collect massive amounts of your personal data. If you feel like you are getting a good value, then, yeah, enjoy. But don't think you aren't monetizing your data...you just don't place much value on it.
Fair enough. I am ok with this and realized this from day one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scoob Redux
People said the same thing as you are saying 20 years ago....

What we got for such naivety was the PATRIOT Act, and how much that also affected and interfered with people's lives. I know and have had personal dealings with families all but persecuted for who they are, what they look like, what religions they have.

People said the same thing you are saying 70 years ago.

What we got for such naivety was Emmett Till, Medgar Evars, the Mississippi Burning, segregation, and the like for a good 20 years, until MLK was assassinated...

I'm Black/Choctaw Indian.

You have no idea about how or what someone says or does that can affect your life let alone my life. All because people stood up for people like me. Because of that, we've stood up for other people who were wrongfully treated because of who and what they are.

Just imagine where I would be let alone my wife and children (she's white; my children are interracial) would be because what they did had "zero material affect" on her life. My children wouldn't be here, let alone would I be with her. I mean, none of those actions that happened 70 years ago would have affected her.. 🤦‍♂️

My point: you may call it being "scared" or "skeptical".. In fact, you probably would have called our 1st US Postmaster General the same:



He wasn't scared or skeptical of what was going to happen; he knew what was going on in Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War was wrong, despite the fact that he didn't even live in Pennsylvania.. I mean, it didn't materially affect him.

I think we see the problem with your statement there. Scared and Skeptical isn't the problem; being safe and secure in our business and whereabouts are, especially when it comes to what is unwillingly out of our control and against what we may have agreed to with our data.

And to even stretch that even further, we can't even be secure in our 4A rights relative to that data, as while we would have recourse against Tile should it be used against that right, we would NOT have such recourse against Life360, because Life360 wouldn't be pursuant to the agreements people made with Tile.

But wait.. oh yeah, scared and skeptical.. I'll put it this way: caring about what happens to our data and how it affects our lives (which it does) is a lot better than being naive about what could happen and having to deal with the implications and consequences from the fallout AFTER something has happened. It is always better to be proactive to a situation than reactive. If you're reactive, it's too late.

BL.
Nope I can readily identify material affect. BTW my wife is not white nor are my biracial kids
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.