Watch Out: Your iPhone Knows Where You've Been

[Heppo]

My guess is its probably used for GPS tagging photos. The iPhone and many other smart phones these days will tag your pictures with a GPS location. So you can browse your album by photos taken at a location (say, all photos you took during a trip in Boston, or while you were at the club the other night).

Rather than adding a GPS location into the data file for every picture (which I would imagine would be a lot more data if you took a lot of pictures), its probably more efficient for them to just make a log that says "At 10:00 PM on 20 April 2011, you were at X, Y coordinates" then just compare the photos time stamp to the GPS list.

For that functionality to work when you migrate phones or (possibly) with applications on the computer that can also sort photos by GPS location, that file (obviously) has to be copied as well. I doubt its an intentional "We want to know where you are!" move by Apple.

If you're honestly that concerned about privacy and concealing your movements and locations that you enraged over a file on your phone (and computer) tracking your location that 99.9% of the population will never know about and never would go looking for in the first place, then there's still holes in your logic. Why haven't you password protected your computer login so someone trying to spy on you can't get access to your data? Why have you left your phone, also not password / keypad protected, where someone can get to it? Both of those things, regardless of the GPS tracking file, give people WAY more personal access to your activities and misbehaviours than this one file.

HOW DARE YOU! Thats a very solid and reasonable argument. I hope none of my mates with Iphones figures it out whilst i'm mocking them!

 

[Trogdor1138]

Those shifty motherfuckers. What reason could this possibly be a good and sane idea? Enjoy having a Big Brother in your pocket.

 

[JDKJ]

Good thing I always have my GPS turned off. Unless it some how tracks my phone even when off. If that's the case then who wants to buy a used iphone?

From what I understand, it manages to track your location no matter. Even if the GPS is off, it's tracking.

I tried to tell 'em that there's no turning off the GPS. They told me I was "paranoid." Then I tried to tell 'em to wear a tin-foil hat. They told me a tin-foil is "useless." With some people, you just can't tell 'em anything for their own good.

 

[Meathands]

I've just tried it, and can happily confirm that the information is so inaccurate that it might as well be completely useless. The nearest location to my house it's tagged is a clear 14 miles away, and it's decided that I spend nearly all my time in Reading, which is both somewhere I haven't been in six years, and somewhere staggeringly far away.

Also, as regards the security of this information, it took less time to set up an encryption on this than it did to read the forum to find out if anyone else had tried it.

 

[JDKJ]

I've just tried it, and can happily confirm that the information is so inaccurate that it might as well be completely useless. The nearest location to my house it's tagged is a clear 14 miles away, and it's decided that I spend nearly all my time in Reading, which is both somewhere I haven't been in six years, and somewhere staggeringly far away.

Also, as regards the security of this information, it took less time to set up an encryption on this than it did to read the forum to find out if anyone else had tried it.

Why would anyone ever want to spend any time in Reading?

 

[Meathands]

I've just tried it, and can happily confirm that the information is so inaccurate that it might as well be completely useless. The nearest location to my house it's tagged is a clear 14 miles away, and it's decided that I spend nearly all my time in Reading, which is both somewhere I haven't been in six years, and somewhere staggeringly far away.

Also, as regards the security of this information, it took less time to set up an encryption on this than it did to read the forum to find out if anyone else had tried it.

Why would anyone ever want to spend any time in Reading?

I had to drive a van full of soup and shelving to a hotel to build a mock-up of a supermarket aisle with two different types of packaging for market research. One of the odder jobs I've had.

 

[JDKJ]

I've just tried it, and can happily confirm that the information is so inaccurate that it might as well be completely useless. The nearest location to my house it's tagged is a clear 14 miles away, and it's decided that I spend nearly all my time in Reading, which is both somewhere I haven't been in six years, and somewhere staggeringly far away.

Also, as regards the security of this information, it took less time to set up an encryption on this than it did to read the forum to find out if anyone else had tried it.

Why would anyone ever want to spend any time in Reading?

I had to drive a van full of soup and shelving to a hotel to build a mock-up of a supermarket aisle with two different types of packaging for market research. One of the odder jobs I've had.

Did you drive through Staines on your way there? "Staines." LOL!!

 

[Dogstile]

So does every other smartphone on the market (I call bullshit on the Android not doing it). Why is this news?

The news article explained it. Normally, only the authorities can look into your location via GPS. Just like the authorities can look into your texting records if they find it might give a clue on the case.

The iPhone allows ANYONE to download where you've been if you know how to read the text file.

How is this news? Just about any company can do this via tracing calls, Apple is just less subtle about it.

This as well, not just anyone is allowed to trace a call and find out where it came from. The information is stored, but a phone call must be connected for 30 seconds to be traced. This is just. Every hour "PING! He's here! ......... PING! Now he's here!"

Just wanna point out that tracing calls isn't like that, they can do it instantly

 

[Ampersand]

I don't really have anything to hide, so whom so ever wants to track me can just have at it.

You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I follow you everywhere you go, right?
You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I go through your house, right?
You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I strip search you, right?

Privacy isn't a matter of what you have to hide or don't have to hide, it's part of basic human DECENCY, something that's sorely lacking these days. You have a basic right to have some privacy until you do something to otherwise warrent having it taken away.

I guess the strip searches would get pretty inconvenient, if it was every day....but then why else am I bothering to work on my abs. : /

I see your point. However it's also nice to know that I can be found if a ski off cliff....which has happened before.

 

[William MacKay]

Apple, Apple, Apple... well, fuck. now they know i go to school and friends houses.
i feel shit for the guys who take it to brothels/strip clubs.

 

[frago roc]

I'll just leave this here...

 

[Gnoupi]

For people who are interested in more details on the story, instead of falling into sterile debates and speculations: https://alexlevinson.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/3-major-issues-with-the-latest-iphone-tracking-discovery/

And like it was already said in another post, we are not talking about GPS data here, only about mobile network localization (which is not really precise, since it is based on the signals from relays. Not the issue here, but if debating, at least let's base on facts)

 

[snfonseka]

Good thing that I have a Nokia....

 

[ShadowKatt]

I don't really have anything to hide, so whom so ever wants to track me can just have at it.

You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I follow you everywhere you go, right?
You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I go through your house, right?
You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I strip search you, right?

Privacy isn't a matter of what you have to hide or don't have to hide, it's part of basic human DECENCY, something that's sorely lacking these days. You have a basic right to have some privacy until you do something to otherwise warrent having it taken away.

I guess the strip searches would get pretty inconvenient, if it was every day....but then why else am I bothering to work on my abs. : /

I see your point. However it's also nice to know that I can be found if a ski off cliff....which has happened before.

GPS/Wireless locator beacon. Every skier should wear one regardless of the slope they're on(assuming that you ski, of course, that was the gist I got). There's no reason for your phone to do it or for you to rely on something that's not designed for it. That aside, it also doesn't need to record your whereabouts, which is the real issue here. It's not that it knows where you are, all wireless devices do that, but Apple got caught logging that information without a set expiration date.

 

[Ampersand]

I don't really have anything to hide, so whom so ever wants to track me can just have at it.

You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I follow you everywhere you go, right?
You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I go through your house, right?
You don't have anything to hide, so you won't mind if I strip search you, right?

Privacy isn't a matter of what you have to hide or don't have to hide, it's part of basic human DECENCY, something that's sorely lacking these days. You have a basic right to have some privacy until you do something to otherwise warrent having it taken away.

I guess the strip searches would get pretty inconvenient, if it was every day....but then why else am I bothering to work on my abs. : /

I see your point. However it's also nice to know that I can be found if a ski off cliff....which has happened before.

GPS/Wireless locator beacon. Every skier should wear one regardless of the slope they're on(assuming that you ski, of course, that was the gist I got). There's no reason for your phone to do it or for you to rely on something that's not designed for it. That aside, it also doesn't need to record your whereabouts, which is the real issue here. It's not that it knows where you are, all wireless devices do that, but Apple got caught logging that information without a set expiration date.

Skiing was just an example, but you get what I mean.

I guess it just doesn't bother me, if it did I wouldn't own an Iphone. Besides if Steve Jobs comes looking for me i'm pretty sure I can take him.

 

[BishopOfBattle]

That's not the problem. Not only is it being stored on your computer and on your phone... It's also being stored on the Apple servers. That's not so bad, is it? But hey, guess what. This information is being stored in unencrypted files. So if anyone hacks the Apple servers they have free access to your location. Bam. You can be found.

Hold on there. No where in that entire article does it say ANYTHING about the data being stored on Apple servers. All the article says is, that "the data is stored on the phone but is automatically transferred to [your] computer when the iPhone is synched". In fact, on the Pete Warden website showing (linked in the original Escapist article), in the FAQ, they specifically state that "there?s no evidence that it?s being transmitted beyond your device and any machines you sync it with." Quote your source if you have some sort of outside information, but otherwise your claim is false and intentionally inflamatory. Which is not a cool way to try to make a logical argument.

HOW DARE YOU! Thats a very solid and reasonable argument. I hope none of my mates with Iphones figures it out whilst i'm mocking them!

I promise I won't tell them. ^_~

 

[Empireth]

Hold on there. No where in that entire article does it say ANYTHING about the data being stored on Apple servers. All the article says is, that "the data is stored on the phone but is automatically transferred to [your] computer when the iPhone is synched". In fact, on the Pete Warden website showing (linked in the original Escapist article), in the FAQ, they specifically state that "there?s no evidence that it?s being transmitted beyond your device and any machines you sync it with." Quote your source if you have some sort of outside information, but otherwise your claim is false and intentionally inflamatory. Which is not a cool way to try to make a logical argument.

Apologies, I do not post intentionally inflammatory comments. If they are inflammatory, it is entirely by accident.

No, I realize that information was not in the OP, I had just been discussing the incident with someone who works within IT security only a few hours prior to reading this, and they had mentioned the fact that it was being stored on Apple servers in unencrypted files, which is why the security folks are in a big uproar about this mess. However, I've been busy the past little while and have not gone searching for more information on this. I'll look for a source on this fact, though, and I shall ask them where they'd heard that next chance I get and shall get back to you on this.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

So, how long until Apple explains what the hell this is and why they were keeping it a secret from everyone? Now that the cat's out of the bag I mean.

Oh, wait, because people who use Apple products are "sheep" and the "intelligent masses" are "too smart" to use anything they make, that means nothing that happens to them matters, they brought it on themselves, and we should just go ahead and let Apple do whatever they want to their "cult".

(Seriously, that's the vibe I get whenever I visit these threads.)