By Annie Hay, Marketing Associate
A location-tracking feature in Apple’s popular iPhone 4 and iPad 3G has users concerned for their privacy and advertisers wondering about future geo-targeting uses.
A recent discovery by computer security researchers Alasdair Allan and Pete Warsden has many Apple iPhone 4 and iPad 3G users nervous. In an interview with NPR, Warsden claimed that while uploading information from his iPhone, he noticed that a file called “Location D” popped up on his computer. The file contained latitude, longitude and text map data that traced virtually everywhere the phone had been. It seems that Apple has inserted a secret location-tracking feature that does not rely on GPS tracking, but instead finds its location relative to cellular phone towers and WiFi signals. The data is kept in an unencrypted file on the phone. A software program already created by Allan and Warsden allows anyone to make a detailed map tracing the user’s every movement.
Apple has not commented on the findings, but has directed concerned users to their terms of use, which clearly state:
“We may collect information such as occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used so that we can better understand customer behaviour and improve our products, services, and advertising.”
While it does not seem as though Apple is using the information it collects, the data is transferred to the user’s computer as the phone syncs. This has privacy experts concerned that the data might be used in lawsuits, federal investigations, or by computer viruses and hackers. Advertisers are also interested in how this information might be used in the future for geo-targeted mobile campaigns.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at security firm Sophos, explained to BBC News: “I think there are some legitimate privacy concerns and people will probably look for a way of obscuring that data . . .But it is an object lesson about reading the terms and conditions.”
As we continue to live our lives in an interconnected digital age, the discovery is a good reminder of how little we understand about our privacy.
