Apple tracking its users.

[bluestarultor]

http://www.bgr.com/2011/04/20/apple-...d-users-video/

Several researchers at O’Reilly have discovered an extremely troubling feature of iPhones and 3G iPads running Apple’s iOS 4. In a blog post and accompanying video, the site details that Apple is storing the GPS coordinates of cellular iDevices locally, in an unencrypted and unprotected file. “Ever since iOS 4 arrived, your device has been storing a long list of locations and time stamps,” reads the post. “We’re not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it’s clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations.” O’Reilly goes on to note that along with a list of timestamped GPS coordinates, the file also contains a list of Wi-Fi access points that the affected device has been in range of. “Anybody with access to this file knows where you’ve been over the last year, since iOS 4 was released,” the brief continues. The file in question — named consolidated.db — is present in the backup file created when syncing a cellular iOS device with iTunes, and, obviously, on the iOS device itself. “Why this data is stored and how Apple intends to use it — or not — are important questions that need to be explored,” writes the team. Apple’s security team did not respond to O’Reilly‘s request for comment. The video made by the researchers is after the break.

http://www.bgr.com/2011/04/25/apple-...-stage-hero1-8

It was only a matter of time. Apple, Inc. has been named as a defendant in a federal district court suit over the iPhone and iPad 3G location tracking scandal — at this point we think it’s safe to refer to it as such. The Cupertino company’s silence over the past week has only intensified rumors and speculation that Apple is, somehow, using this harvested data in a clandestine or nefarious manner. Bloomberg notes that the lawsuit was filed in Tampa, FL by two consumers and, at this point, it is unknown if the duo will seek class action status. Details on the case are scarce at the moment, but we’re sure this isn’t the last we’ll be hearing about this one.

So to all of you with the fanciest, newest Apple devices:


Glad I'm not hip!


In all seriousness, though, this is downright creepy in a world where tracking data is already pretty damn creepy with how much The Man knows about you and how little people are willing to sell it for. There's simply no good reason to be physically tracking people unless they're part of a criminal investigation.

[Osterbaum]

I know nothing of the page this story can be found on. Can someone verify the validity of this?

[Eltargrim]

Engadget featured this a while back. Seems valid to me.

[Marc v4.0]

All smart phones tracks phone location through GPS. This information can be used for various purposes, GPS/Location related Apps or phone tracking in case you lose the phone.

I'm not sure why the iphone would keep a record beyond the current location, that seems a little hinky if it does.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Osterbaum

I know nothing of the page this story can be found on. Can someone verify the validity of this?

If it helps, it was linked from Mail.com, which I use for my business email. Again, if it helps. I rarely have the time to bother with their news.

[Osterbaum]

Seems trustworthy enough, atleast until other trustworthy sources say otherwise.

I'm not the biggest fan of Apple, I just don't want to accuse them of anything without some level of certainty.

[Tev]

It's real enough,. MSNBC did a piece on it this morning.

[Magus]

Government doing this: totally cool.

Apple doing this: HOLY SHIT DROWN YOUR PHONE IN THE RIVER THEY'RE ONTO YOU.

This reminds me of (I shit you not) a news story on cookies on your computer like they were some kind of new invention, from within the past year.

Pretty sure you've been able to track people using the crap in people's cellphones for years now, or at least according to the last ten years of films featuring the FBI, anyway.

[Osterbaum]

I thought the scary thing here was that they were saving that info.

[Magus]

It's saved on your phone in a file, from what I remember from the news the past week. Then they access the file when you search for stuff near you. It keeps track of where you've been in the past and updates it as you go new places. It sounds like literally nothing new as far as cellphones are concerned. Pretty sure all the major carriers can pinpoint where you were on such and such a date at such and such a time with quite a bit of ease, as long as you had your phone on.