This secret is one that is fresh out of the bag. More than one company is caught up in it and wish that we didn’t know any of this because the tracking and data logging was being done “on the down low” without our permission, or without restraint or consideration of our rights and safety by companies we thought we could trust.
So far we have learned that Apple iPhones, newer iPads and some Android devices have tracked and are serving up our location and movement information. Not only that, there are some receiving this information that we do not know and should be aware of, if not outright wary of. It is obvious after a week of this that these are more than rumors and indications point out that much this is only the tip of the iceberg. Investigations are being carried out have verified these suspicions, Congress is considering the implications, and attempting to access the scope of the problem.
As consumers and citizens we should be asking, who is really looking out for our interests? These types of ominous infrigements and blatant disregard for our rights are what we have dreaded and feared, but here we are! Where are our government representatives and where are all the business and industry regulators? What are the big-time civic and consumer protection agencies doing that hey missed this? How can all these money-making companies feel that any of this is legal or in any way feel justified at letting this do? More importantly, Why do we only find out about this kind of stuff when the horses are already way out of the stable? This is a sure case of technology RUNNING AMOK.
What are they tracking? User locations and movements and device data of all sorts.
The bottom line is that we don’t have the slightness clue who is receiving it and what they are doing with this data.
According to sources this didn’t begin until iOS 4 was released in June of 2010 but there is mounting proof that much of it actually started prior to that and that 3G-enabled iPads are also involved.
We are now learning that there are various applications out there that allow people to see collected data is on individual devices including tracking movements and much more. Actually, we should have seen this coming back in the early stages of GPS, embedded and location-aware technologies. It is an unwritten rule that “If they can, they will, and do!”.
Now the big question is how and if we can turn off or disable these “features”? Welcome to 1984, a little late, but here it is! Live and in living color.
This secret is one that is out of the bag and some wish we didn’t know or wasn’t true because it is being done without our permission.
So far the public is are learning that Apple iPhones, iPads and some Android devices are suspected of tracking you location and movements and that there are receivers of this information that we should be aware of. Most of these are strong rumors at this point but there are indications that this is true and investigations are being carried out in attempts to verify or refute these suspicions.
Again I ask as I have countless times and was told to shut up. Who is looking out for our interests? Where are our government representatives, business and industry regulators, civic and consumer protection agencies? How can these companies stuffing our money into their pockets feel that any of this is legal or justified? Lastly, why do we only find out when the horses are already out of the stable and it is too late to stop?
What are they tracking?
User locations and movements
The bottom line is that we don’t have the slightness clue who is receiving it and what they are doing with this data.
According to sources on Apple this didn’t begin until iOS 4 was released in June of 2010 but there is proof that much of it actually started prior to that and that 3G-enabled iPads have been involved.
We are now learning that there are applications out there that allow people to see what data is on individual devices including tracking movements and more.
Here is some of what we know:
All iOS devices (including iPhones and iPads) running iOS 4.0 or later log their approximate location to a file called “consolidated.db,” an unencrypted SQL file which contains latitude-longitude coordinates and a timestamp.
Since the file isn’t hidden, it’s also backed up to the host iTunes machine. This means that anyone with access to your computer could access the file. All this is scary in it’s implications..
iPhones and iPad 3G’s keep a log file of every place we’ve ever been whether were using GPS or not, and some of us are upset about that.
So how does Apple track your location without consent, and why does it matter? A log file on your 3G-enabled iPhone or iPad shows nearly every place you’ve been, whether you were using GPS or not. The implications of this discovery are that tracking data generally revealed only by court order is available to anyone with the right tools which are easily accessible and readily available.
Android users, don’t be so smug! After the unsettling revelation that iPhones and 3G iPads keep a log of location data based on cell tower and WiFi base station triangulation, it has been discovered and revealed that Android smartphones store the very same kind of data for its location services. While the data is a little harder to access for the average user, it’s a minor access issue for a seasoned hacker or forensics pro.
Talk about the horses being out of the stable. This means that is a virtual stampede cause the stable doors are off the hinges and the stable is in risk of burning down.
There is a saying, “No matter where you go, There you are!” Add to that ” and others can figure that out” The upshot of all this tracking scuttlebutt is that it isn’t over and won’t stop anytime soon. We have stuck out feet in it and must now deal with the repercussions.
Wednesday, Apple responded to the controversy by issuing a series of questions and answers about its use of iPhone location information, in an attempt to quash the mounting controversy. You can read Apple’s response here.
5/1/11 Addendum: Google has fessed up and admitted in the midst of this privacy panic that user movements are being stored and that they too track Android phone users, but added that it does so with the knowledge of users and has done it anonymously. A Google spokesman, said “Google does track movements of users, but it does so to provide customised services such as maps and searches for shops or restaurants, and to study traffic on various roads. YEAH RIGHT! …IT’S A feature, not a bug!
What else will we learn in the coming months that our devices have been up to without our knowledge or approval?
5/2/11 Addendum: A rumor out of BGR suggests iOS 4.3.3 will land in the upcoming weeks. The story goes that the update will fix the location tracking issue that has blown up into a major controversy in which usually trusted Apple has confirmed that cell tower and WIFI hotspot info is being stored oniPhones and 3G iPads supposedly “to improve location fix acquisition”.
Apple has promised to aggressively address these issues and, according to BGR report, the changelog for 4.3.3 includes:
- iTunes will no longer backup the location database to your desktop
- the location database will be smaller, reducing the amount of data stored on the device
- the device will delete the database when the Location Service option is turned off
Besides the location information, the update will improve battery life and fix some unidentified bugs with the iPod.
