How Apple tracks your location without consent, and why it matters

[iPanik]

If you haven't yet enabled encrypted backups for your iPhone or iPad, now's definitely the time to start. Two security researchers have discovered a simple way to map out where you've been almost anywhere in the world—without any hacking involved. The information comes from a location cache file found within your iPhone's backups on your Mac or PC, bringing out serious privacy concerns and opening the door for a jealous spouse, thief, or even a crafty trojan to take a detailed look at your whereabouts. And it's information that no one should have access to—not even law enforcement, barring a court order.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/04/how-apple-tracks-your-location-without-your-consent-and-why-it-matters.ars

 

[Dejan]

I read about this, privacy doesn't seem to matter much nowadays, any company can track you if your using their products, it's not just Google anymore.

 

[iPanik]

Apple has responded:

Apple has finally commented on the iPhone and iPad location logging controversy that erupted last week, saying that a software update would be available soon. Apple provided a Q&A page with the answers to 10 questions about the situation (shown below), but noted that the company did not transfer any of the location data gathered by people's devices back to the company. The software update, expected to be available "sometime in the next few weeks," will reduce the size of the location database cached on the iPhone, will stop backing up the cache to people's computers, and will delete this cache entirely when Location Services is turned off.

[source]

They blame it on a bug, however the cynic that is me are having doubts about that.
Once the update rolls in i will turn off "location services" on my idevice device.

 

[Jack]

Users File Suit Against Apple Over iPhone Tracking

A pair of Apple customers has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that Apple is invading their privacy by collecting location data about iPhone and iPad users without their knowledge. The suit follows the revelation last week by security researchers that Apple is collecting and storing some location data from users.

Read more

And it gets better , the iPhone tracking 'Bug' is actually patent pending... which makes it harder to buy the mistake argument. As if that's not enough fun Italy, Germany and other countries are all looking into it.

 

[Jack]

fftopic: ... the latest South Park episode (S15E1) is about Apple and tracking location :lolz:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s15e01-humancentipad

 

[bogdan]

Even though there might be no actual proof that Apple is collecting that data on their servers and uses it, it is till a big security concern. Why would I want such a feature turned on by default, why would I want it sitting unprotected on my machine? If Apple is not using it, why is it there?

 

[Jack]

Apple iOS update quashes location tracking "bug"
Apple has released an iOS update for the iPhone and iPad, addressing concerns that the devices were tracking users' locations.

[.....................]

Apple responded to the media interest, and admitted that devices were collecting information about cell towers and WiFi hotspots around users' current location, even when users had specifically turned off Location Services.

Apple says that the newly-released iOS 4.3.3 update will no longer back up location data cached on iPhones and iPads to users' computers, and fixes the Location Services bug.

If you install the update, the location data stored on your iPhone or iPad will reportedly only stretch back seven days, and the cache will be deleted in its entirety if you disable Location Services.

It would still be nice, of course, if the cache of location data was also encrypted - to prevent snooping eyes. Apple says that they plan to encrypt the data in the next major iOS software release (iOS 5.0?).

Read more

 

[Tweak]

I suppose they do not feed ads to the clients using the devices but often such "tracking" becomes useful for companies in determining what best suits which type of users, maybe they could be using this to gather information to identify specific usage characteristics that it then sales to another party? Or maybe that just sounds like a very paranoid way to look at it but I don't fully buy this being an accident or "bug", then I don't own or use Apple devices so that particular line of products from this company doesn't concern me personally anyways. Just a thought likely without no truth but who knows for sure besides Apple (and possibly the third party)?