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Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations

latimesblogs.latimes.com

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Re: Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations

#4

Post by 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.

Re: Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations

#6

Post by amalcon »

danudey wrote: post #4

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.

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.

Re: Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations

#7

Post by 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.

Re: Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations

#8

Post by amalcon »

spicyj wrote: post #3

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

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.

Re: Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations

#9

Post by there »

aymeric wrote: post #5

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?

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.
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