Apple: Back Off, We Don't Track Your iPhone

[The .50 Caliber Cow]

Wait they admitted to doing it and now are saying fuck you morons we don't.

But Steve Jobs said it. STEVE. JOBS.

Honestly I'm glad I don't own one single object made by Apple.

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

That photo makes Jobs look like the Wicked Witch of the West
*Gasp* So THAT'S how her crystal ball works! O_O

Cause ya know... Wicked Witch of the West's Crystal Ball.... There's an app for that

 

[Zenode]

Apple today clarified the purpose of the file and said that it would take steps to make the information more private in an upcoming update to iOS.

Or they could, you know just NOT track peoples locations to make it more private....

Im sorry Apple, but how you get away with privacy laws just baffles me.

 

[EonEire]

We've done absolutely nothing wrong, all the tracking was necessary for a completely different purpose.... ...so here is an update that will remove the tracking. Say whaaaaaaaaaaat?

Or hide the file even better this time.......DAN DAN DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN

Seriously thought that is a possibility :S

 

[Danpascooch]

I'm guessing Google will send out the exact same press release with 'Apple' crossed out and 'Google' hastily written over it.

You realize that Android doesn't do the same thing right? There are a number of huge differences.


1.) Android saves only a CACHE (meaning a small number of information, where the oldest is deleted when a new entry is added) while the Iphone saves a LOG (meaning all location data, ever, since the phone was first used)

2.) Android does not back it up to any computer it gets hooked up to, Iphone does

3.) Getting to the file requires you to root your phone to break security on Android, on Iphone, you can get to it without breaking security on the phone or on any computer it has ever been hooked up to

4.) (most important one) You can turn off the cache on Android by turning off Location Options, you cannot turn it off for Iphone

These differences set the two tracking worlds apart.

 

[beema]

Wait, you actually thought they wouldn't get off scott free?

It's Apple, and this is America. Big corporations here never catch shit for stuff like this, especially when they have legions of rabid fanboy drones who would gladly pay them for dry anal rape, as long as it was with an Apple-logo'd dildo.

btw I thought of a dildo when I saw the picture of Steve Job's bald stupid smug head.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Apple never did anything wrong, and anything they did do wrong wasn't their fault, and even if it was their fault, you allowed them to, and even if you didn't allow them to, then they didn't know about it.

Pure flim-flam. They got caught with their trousers down and they can't even admit it.

 

[aesondaandryk]

Just wait till Steve Jobs leaves Apple. Anarchy will persue.

 

[Chaos Marine]

Oh Apple, if there's a company more arrogant and self assured they can do no wrong, they don't exist.

 

[Eri]

Why the fuck should I have to opt out of ALL location services just to get them to stop tracking my shit? Fuck you Apple.

 

[Jamie Doerschuck]

I'm guessing Google will send out the exact same press release with 'Apple' crossed out and 'Google' hastily written over it.

Google already allows you to opt out of these types of programs. Actually, when you're setting up the phone it's the third or fourth question they ask you.

 

[snfonseka]

Wait... they do it, but then they say they don't do it while saying they'll release a patch to stop the I-shit from doing it? Wha-wha-whaa...?

Someone has been snorting a little too much crack me thinks...

^This, Somebody should sue them for act so ignorant about this issue.

 

[Sartan0]

I'm guessing Google will send out the exact same press release with 'Apple' crossed out and 'Google' hastily written over it.

You realize that Android doesn't do the same thing right? There are a number of huge differences.


1.) Android saves only a CACHE (meaning a small number of information, where the oldest is deleted when a new entry is added) while the Iphone saves a LOG (meaning all location data, ever, since the phone was first used)

2.) Android does not back it up to any computer it gets hooked up to, Iphone does

3.) Getting to the file requires you to root your phone to break security on Android, on Iphone, you can get to it without breaking security on the phone or on any computer it has ever been hooked up to

4.) (most important one) You can turn off the cache on Android by turning off Location Options, you cannot turn it off for Iphone

These differences set the two tracking worlds apart.

Darn good points! I am so happy I don't have a i-phone right now. Apple will be lucky if they are not sued for invasion of privacy since they never warned the users. I never trusted Apple and this is certainly not changing my opinion.

 

[odd function]

The damn phone has a GPS in it. It can pinpoint what part of my apartment I'm in. I had no delusions it was in some way being tracked. I imagine thats how they collect data on usage volumes. There's apps that utilize your location to offer ads and gas prices. I can't say I was flabbergasted by the discovery.

Maybe if you read one of the many articles that went into detail about this subject earlier (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/04/how-apple-tracks-your-location-without-your-consent-and-why-it-matters.ars) you could speak from a position other than ignorance.

Because I wouldn't dare to presume that you'd actually bother to click that link and read the contents, let alone think about it, I'll summarize. The iPhone collects location data even when you turn off all location based features. While you have control of the GPS, and an app's ability to access that feature, you weren't told about the iPhone's location logging, you can't turn it off, and it is stored unencrypted (hello Sony). It is also duplicated to your computer unencrypted by default. The only way to stop your phone from logging your location is to turn off the phone part. The only things limiting access to the complete history of everywhere you've been, are the file's permissions on the phone, and your computer's security. This means that if someone has owned your phone they can now track you in real time, and based on your past have a very good idea of where you will be in the future.

This is about whether users are allowed to control what data they give (what happens after is already out of control) and Apple deciding that we never needed to know.

 

[gphjr14]

The damn phone has a GPS in it. It can pinpoint what part of my apartment I'm in. I had no delusions it was in some way being tracked. I imagine thats how they collect data on usage volumes. There's apps that utilize your location to offer ads and gas prices. I can't say I was flabbergasted by the discovery.

Maybe if you read one of the many articles that went into detail about this subject earlier (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/04/how-apple-tracks-your-location-without-your-consent-and-why-it-matters.ars) you could speak from a position other than ignorance.

Because I wouldn't dare to presume that you'd actually bother to click that link and read the contents, let alone think about it, I'll summarize. The iPhone collects location data even when you turn off all location based features. While you have control of the GPS, and an app's ability to access that feature, you weren't told about the iPhone's location logging, you can't turn it off, and it is stored unencrypted (hello Sony). It is also duplicated to your computer unencrypted by default. The only way to stop your phone from logging your location is to turn off the phone part. The only things limiting access to the complete history of everywhere you've been, are the file's permissions on the phone, and your computer's security. This means that if someone has owned your phone they can now track you in real time, and based on your past have a very good idea of where you will be in the future.

This is about whether users are allowed to control what data they give (what happens after is already out of control) and Apple deciding that we never needed to know.

Thanks for typing all that too bad I'm not reading it.

 

[Zipa]

I don't know why people are so worried, this is nothing new cellphones have been doing this long before any kind of Iphone was on the scene. Most countries emergency services can find exactly where you are if you call them from a cellphone.