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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Tech iPhone/iPad Keeps Detailed Records of Your Movements

Posted by Anthony Hecht on Wed, Apr 20, 2011 at 10:16 AM

Flying through the tubes right now is the discovery that iOS devices record very detailed information about the device's location and retain that info in a file backed up to the user's computer when the device is synced.

Screen_shot_2011-04-20_at_10.22.59_AM.png

The terms and conditions users of these devices agree to does state that Apple may collect non-personally-identifiable location information and basically use it however they please, but the problem here is that if this file is easily available on your computer and tagged with your phone's name, it's pretty personally identifiable. The level of detail in these records also would probably be enough to identify someone on its own. Also, who reads the terms and conditions?

The guys who discovered this file have created a little Mac app that lets you see this data on your own computer, and also explains in more detail how and where the info is stored.

So far, it appears that this data is stored on your device and your synced computers only and not transmitted anywhere, but people smarter than me are only just starting to look into all that.

This is only the very beginning of issues like this. The devices we carry around can passively collect unbelievable amounts of information about what we're doing, and the rules and laws about the use of that information isn't even close to keeping up with the technology.

For example! Matt Hickey reports for Cnet that Michigan cops are using "extraction devices" to download info from the cell phones of motorists they pull over. People, mind you, who have not been charged with any crime.

Comments (21) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Yes, but they were thinking about doing a crime, which is a thoughtcrime.

Your papers, citizen comrade?

All hail our Corporate Overlords!

Posted by Will in Seattle

on April 20, 2011 at 10:27 AM

@1, would those be the same corporate overlords you never stop cheerleading for? Yeah, I thought so. Take another hit.

Posted by Fnarf

on April 20, 2011 at 10:37 AM

That Michigan story is chilling. I hope the ACLU carves the MSP a new butthole.

Posted by Levislade

on April 20, 2011 at 10:39 AM

I know I would be suspect based on my geo-coordinates.

3:30 pm. Went to Top Food on East Hill
4:00 pm. Went bike riding
6:00 pm. Came back. Made peanut butter sandwich.

Very suspicious stuff...

By the by, you can always turn your GPS off (at least with Android)...saves battery life.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on April 20, 2011 at 10:47 AM

WTF about the Michigan issue? Who are these people who hand over their cell phone to the cops at a routine traffic stop? I mean, they shouldn't even be able to look at your call log, much less download anything. What is the basis for such an action? They're just curious?

Also, so much of this stuff is making me lean toward Droid. I don't have a smartie phone yet, but damn, it's one thing to have a specific app to track you (which could be useful, GPS-wise), but to do it automatically without your knowledge or ease of access, Apple, what the hell?

Posted by STJA on April 20, 2011 at 10:48 AM

@4 - the location tracking under discussion here uses cell-tower triangulation, so it can't be turned off without turning the phone into a brick.

Posted by shabadoo on April 20, 2011 at 11:01 AM

@5, the ACLU notes they've spent three years asking the Michigan State Police to say if and how they're using the devices - the ACLU can say for sure only that the cops did buy them, not if, when or how they've been using them.

Since Michigan doesn't have the kinds of public disclosure laws we do in Washington, the cops are trying to charge ACLU half a million dollars for the public information.

Posted by gloomy gus on April 20, 2011 at 11:09 AM

#6

Ah, ok...well then, just don't go anywhere suspicious.

Stay in school.

Nose to the grindstone. All that.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on April 20, 2011 at 11:10 AM

please stop pushing apple products.

Posted by Geraldo Riviera on April 20, 2011 at 11:11 AM

In thinking about the file, I realized I used to code GIS map layer software to display cell tower signal strength and we used files like this.

what I remember of the files was they were used for a IF AT TOWER A and STRENGTH BELOW B check next and prior log tower STRENGTH to keep the calls from dropping.

The 30 minute video on this tells you how to encrypt your file to solve the problem.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on April 20, 2011 at 11:17 AM

its not just iphone. google is big on tracking phones and wear it is. google maps, google places, google latitude. and not to mention the ability of tracking what you are buying and shopping for online

Posted by boxcar on April 20, 2011 at 11:25 AM

Welcome to the Corporate Fascist State, somewhat akin to the China's Totalitarian Capitalist State, and not by accident, of course!

Remember, Narus opened an office in Beijing back in 2005. And Narus, that Boeing subsidiary for anyone not in The Know, was first mentioned in all that hullabuloo (just joking, barely made USA Today's rag paper) about warrantless wiretapping when Mark Klein, who was NEVER called before the democratic majority congress to testify, told all about those Narus boxes installed in the switching center in San Francisco a few years back.

How quickly we forget?

Posted by sgt_doom on April 20, 2011 at 11:25 AM

remember, airplane mode turns off all that pervy stuff ... damn but i love that.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on April 20, 2011 at 11:26 AM

While I couldn't possibly be more bored by the Android/iPhone "debate" (hint: it's not a debate, everybody's wrong, and stupid), if you're worried about keeping your personal information private, holding Google up as an example is more than a little ridiculous. I think it's safe to say that Google collects more information about more people's behavior than any company in history. This particular issue is looking bad for Apple, but Google exists only to collect your information. The only reason they have a mobile operating system, or an email system, or anything else, is to learn more about what you're doing so they can sell ads. I'm not bashing them for this, it's just their business model. Just because they say the word "open" a lot doesn't make them the ACLU.

Posted by Anthony Hecht on April 20, 2011 at 11:55 AM

The more I read about Apple and Google, the happier I am with my BlackBerry.

And BTW, that's good advice, Bailo. Turn the fucking GPS off except for when you need it - which isn't really very often.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on April 20, 2011 at 12:00 PM

i guess im more of a fanboy for droids, but #14 gets it right

Posted by boxcar on April 20, 2011 at 12:19 PM

@14 - I am aware of that, Anthony. Not meaning to say Google is perfect, or even better, but at this point I like the fact that they're a bit more up-front about this stuff (that's my perception, anyway). That, and they aren't censoring as much stuff with App sales, etc.

Anyway, I'm too cheap to buy a smart-phone right now anyway, so I really shouldn't be advocating one or the other.

Posted by STJA on April 20, 2011 at 12:23 PM

Don't get me wrong, I'm shocked (well, caught unawares) that this level of data is collected without the user's consent.

But there is a potential for using this kind of data for fantastic studies (albeit it would have to be a IRB-approved project, not this big-brother, non-consensual type of mess):

This TED talk is an eye-opener about how this info could be used for good, instead of evil:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62cNtvx6P…

Posted by KBF on April 20, 2011 at 3:23 PM

So is there a version that works on PC?

Posted by thunderchaps on April 20, 2011 at 4:03 PM