

Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations - thejo
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/06/apple-location-privacy-iphone-ipad.html

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danudey
The article points to a bit of legalese which says that 'in order to provide
location services, apple and their partners and licensees' etc.

In other words 'Some apps or Apple services (e.g. MobileMe) may have to figure
out where you are and send that somewhere'. This should be a no-brainer.

As one commenter said, it's just scaremongering for pageviews.

~~~
amalcon
This is one thing the Palm Pre got right. When you first turn on your phone,
it asks if you'd like to always allow location info, or if you'd like the
phone to ask each time. If you say no, any app (even the pre-installed ones)
must ask every time it wants to get your current location. If you say yes, it
gets out of your way and doesn't bug you unless you change it in the settings.

Of course, if you say yes, it also periodically sends data behind the scenes.
Strange, but it's better than making this completely uncontrollable.

~~~
zweben
iOS asks you each time though. So Apple is erring on the side of caution, if
anything.

~~~
amalcon
Did not know that. In that case, what's the big deal?

~~~
Timothee
From what I understand, the article is about the fact that Apple may be
keeping track of the devices' position at all times, as part of the OS
basically.

The prompt that asks you every time if you want to give your location is for
when you're using apps.

~~~
hboon
Only once for an app if you said Yes, until you turn it off.

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jws
On an island in the middle of nowhere, my iPad (without cellular or gps) knows
its precise location. No google van or wifi mapping car could have come within
a mile of the wifi access point which is only on sporadically.

I presume my brother's iPhone 3gs correlated the wifi access point and his
coordinates for someone when we opened the cabin this spring. This may be an
"after the fact" license update.

~~~
irons
Suggesting that Apple silently correlates and feeds back iPhone GPS data to
Skyhook's access point database is speculative, at best. Occam's razor says
Skyhook is using off-the-shelf hardware to identify access points at a
distance, especially if your island in the middle of nowhere affords clear
line of sight.

Your wifi only being on sporadically isn't dispositive either. I took an
Airport Express to a hotel once for a two-day conference, and for months
afterward my iPhone thought my apartment in Seattle was in downtown San Diego.

~~~
jws
Your Occam's razor has access to a pretty nifty shelf.

I don't think you are going to find off the shelf gear to receive an Airport
express through 12 inches of log, then across 1 mile of water with the surface
of the water in the fresnel zone, I'm only about 10 feet above water level and
the nearest land road is about 20 feet above water level. (The multiple paths
from reflections off the lake create all sorts of cancellation problems.)

Even more unlikely, if they could sense my access point, they would still have
to work out a vector and range to me since the nearest roads the other way are
over the horizon. The road does not afford a sweep for meaningful
triangulation. We are firmly in "zoom and enhance" territory now.

It doesn't have to be Apple sending data to Skyhook. I suppose any app with
access to the location data and MAC address could do it. Or maybe Skyhook sent
out a boat. Or perhaps someone manually sent the AP coordinates to skyhook.

------
spicyj
Anyone who wishes not to be tracked can simply go to <http://oo.apple.com/> on
their device to opt out.

More info: <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4228>

~~~
amalcon
This strikes me as a sketchy use of "opt-out": why would anyone actually want
this? They're clearly hoping that most people either don't find out, or are
too lazy to bother.

~~~
benologist
That's the whole point of opt out ... do something until someone really
doesn't want it and then make them search to find out how to stop it.

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tlrobinson
"The company says the data is anonymous and does not personally identify
users."

Yeah except, you know, when a user is in the exact same location every night
for ~8 hours.

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aymeric
If Facebook, Microsoft or Adobe had such an announcement, the whole internet
and HN community would have been enraged.

It seems people are more tolerant about Apple privacy issues.

Is it because the present issue is interpreted as a lesser issue?

~~~
there
i think it's because many people think apple actually has some sense of
concern for its users privacy and security, unlike some of those other
companies.

~~~
dumber
HAHAHAHA

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maqr
Anyone interested in location services should be aware this exists:
<http://www.skyhookwireless.com/>

I believe this is who Apple uses for 'Location' services. It's kind of creepy
(privacy-wise) but what an impressive service.

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nopassrecover
If only they could find lost/stolen phones.

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Calamitous
I read this, and all I could think of was <http://xkcd.com/743>

