Apple Responds to Questions About Location Tracking and Privacy
As noted by the Los Angeles Times yesterday, the congressmen have published Apple's 13-page response (full-text PDF) submitted last week and explaining the company's policies.
In its response, Apple points out that users have the ability to turn off location services entirely and that users are required to provide explicit authorization to each application that wishes to access their location information. Responding to questions about the information Apple is collecting, the response notes that, in addition to user-initiated location sharing, iOS devices automatically collect information on nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi access points along with GPS locations, batching and encrypting the data before sending it on to Apple via Wi-Fi every twelve hours in order to assist with refinements to Apple's database of fixed access point locations.
Apple also discloses its usage of location information for administering its iAd platform, where GPS coordinates are immediately translated into zip codes for the purposes of serving ads. This information is not, however, passed along to advertisers, and Apple plans to maintain the zip code data on its servers for up to six months to assist with administration of and improvements to the iAd program before aggregating the data for administrative use.
For their part, Markey and Barton seem pleased with Apple's response and approach to user consent and privacy policies, although they continue to express general concern over possible privacy implications for the expanding cloud-based mobile data-driven lifestyle, as well as ever-expanding privacy policy documents that can make it difficult for consumers to understand how their information is being used.
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I know a guy who uses a faraday bag because he's so paranoid about being tracked. Of course, the second you take the phone out of the bag you're back on the grid.
As for me, I'm not doing anything illicit, so I don't really care if Yelp! or whomever knows my whereabouts.
Does this mean that without even turning on a location app, Apple effectively has data on where it's phone users are at all times? I haven't read the full response yet but if that is correct, that is not only extremely serious but completely unwarranted and a massive invasion of people's privacy.
If that's actually what they've been doing to it's users then it makes Google's wi-fi sniffing antics look like childs play in comparison.
Saying that, I'm part of the generation that just doesn't care that a company has my buying habits, browsing habits, location etc etc.
I'd also prefer Apple to have my info rather than...say...Google..
In a non-Fan boy way! Honest!
qgat really suxs is that if you turn off location tracking the app won't work, meaning for some reason they want to be able to track your location and not necessarily your position alone.
I haven't had that experience at all. I've been prompted by apps to allow access to my location, I've said "don't allow", and the app continues to work. Some functions might be disabled, (for example, you would have to manually enter your zip code in Flixster to locate a theater, rather than use GPS) but unless the app is focused and reliant on GPS usage it shouldn't be crippled at all.
"iOS devices automatically collect information on nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi access points along with GPS locations, batching and encrypting the data before sending it on to Apple"
Does this mean that without even turning on a location app, Apple effectively has data on where it's phone users are at all times? I haven't read the full response yet but if that is correct, that is not only extremely serious but completely unwarranted and a massive invasion of people's privacy.
If that's actually what they've been doing to it's users then it makes Google's wi-fi sniffing antics look like childs play in comparison.
Not only iOS devices. Snow Leopard devices send also information to which wireless networks they are connected....
"iOS devices automatically collect information on nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi access points along with GPS locations, batching and encrypting the data before sending it on to Apple"
Does this mean that without even turning on a location app, Apple effectively has data on where it's phone users are at all times? I haven't read the full response yet but if that is correct, that is not only extremely serious but completely unwarranted and a massive invasion of people's privacy.
If that's actually what they've been doing to it's users then it makes Google's wi-fi sniffing antics look like childs play in comparison.
AT&T knows which towers you're near even if you don't make a phone call
even without iAD apple and AT&T need this data for troubleshooting purposes. all the network equipment around the US is from different manufacturers, different generations and different levels of software. if there is an issue like the HSUPA upload thing that's how Apple and AT&T get the data to figure out what it could be.
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