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IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

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Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#71

Post by andreyf »

rufo wrote: post #49
gyardley wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pete, the iPhone Tracker application is showing data points in a grid-like pattern, with multiple points visible simultaneously. I haven't dug into the raw data - is that an artifact of the iPhone Tracker application, or is the raw data already rounded by Apple to fit on a grid, with multiple locations having identical timestamps? How much I care about this depends a lot on the granularity of the underlying data.

From the FAQ: To make it less useful for snoops, the spatial and temporal accuracy of the data has been artificially reduced. You can only animate week-by-week even though the data is timed to the second, and if you zoom in you’ll see the points are constrained to a grid, so your exact location is not revealed. The underlying database has no such constraints, unfortunately.

Although since it's open source, it shouldn't be too hard to remove this restriction.

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#72

Post by savrajsingh »

petewarden wrote: post #3

I'll be checking in here for technical questions. The github direct link is http://petewarden.github.com/iPhoneTracker/

Thanks for the app -- quite eye-opening. The data looks good, except there is a bunch of data in Minnesota. I've never been to Minnesota! Any ideas?

http://imgur.com/ORgYu

EDIT: Data appears around the time I flew from NJ to Seattle -- perhaps my phone was on in-flight and connecting to MN cell towers? Seems unlikely, though, given the # of points.

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#73

Post by nkassis »

edw wrote: post #70
crocowhile wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are collecting private information about a person and make them somehow accessible. I'll give you an example: now your technologically savvy and pathological jealous partner can open that file on your phone while you are sleeping and check where have you been in the past months, day by day. Iphone users should be aware of that possibility. EDIT: Actually, now that I looked at the software presented here, it does…

Yes, your partner can do this if you let him or her access to your computer's account. Keep in mind that if you let your partner use your account, he or she can also look at all your cookies, your browser history, and probably your Facebook account and Gmail accounts. If you don't trust your partner and want to rummage through his or her computer—or if you worry about the prospect of your partner rummaging through yo…

All that's needed is physical access to the computer. Your computer account is not a real protection.

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#74

Post by crocowhile »

edw wrote: post #70
crocowhile wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are collecting private information about a person and make them somehow accessible. I'll give you an example: now your technologically savvy and pathological jealous partner can open that file on your phone while you are sleeping and check where have you been in the past months, day by day. Iphone users should be aware of that possibility. EDIT: Actually, now that I looked at the software presented here, it does…

Yes, your partner can do this if you let him or her access to your computer's account. Keep in mind that if you let your partner use your account, he or she can also look at all your cookies, your browser history, and probably your Facebook account and Gmail accounts. If you don't trust your partner and want to rummage through his or her computer—or if you worry about the prospect of your partner rummaging through yo…

>If you don't trust your partner and want to rummage through his or her computer—or if you worry about the prospect of your partner rummaging through your computer—you may want to go to a couples' therapist.

Thanks, I am fine. But you should know that a number of marriages do in fact end badly in the real world and that a tool like this one can give evidence of cheating and cost a lot of money in a divorce trial. Do I need to make any more examples of why collection of private information is frequently a problem in everyday life?

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#75

Post by tomkinstinch »

For those with jailbroken iPhones and SSH, the data can be accessed or copied directly. The information is stored in this file: /private/var/root/Library/Caches/locationd/consolidated.db

The file can be viewed with any ol' SQLite browser, and the location information is stored in the "CellLocation" table.

After using an iPhone 4 since release day, I have ~1400 entries.

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#76

Post by zcid »

savrajsingh wrote: post #72
petewarden wrote: post #3

I'll be checking in here for technical questions. The github direct link is http://petewarden.github.com/iPhoneTracker/

Thanks for the app -- quite eye-opening. The data looks good, except there is a bunch of data in Minnesota. I've never been to Minnesota! Any ideas? http://imgur.com/ORgYu EDIT: Data appears around the time I flew from NJ to Seattle -- perhaps my phone was on in-flight and connecting to MN cell towers? Seems unlikely, though, given the # of points.

That could be related to the iOS location bugs. I know there were a couple where the phone would refuse to believe that it was anywhere but 1000 miles away.

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#77

Post by fredoliveira »

andreyf wrote: post #71
rufo wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the FAQ: To make it less useful for snoops, the spatial and temporal accuracy of the data has been artificially reduced. You can only animate week-by-week even though the data is timed to the second, and if you zoom in you’ll see the points are constrained to a grid, so your exact location is not revealed. The underlying database has no such constraints, unfortunately.

Although since it's open source, it shouldn't be too hard to remove this restriction.

I just went through the code and it is indeed pretty trivial to remove both restrictions. If you want to do it, in the iPhoneTrackingAppDelegate implementation file:

* Change the precision variable on line 149 to something bigger than 100 (10000 did it for me) - this will mark points in the map with higher precision:

  const float precision = 10000;
* Change the timeBucket variable on line 180 to change the date precision (the app currently gives you weekly based data, but it can go as far a data point every second). You could also just "cheat" and change the notion of weekInSeconds:

  const float weekInSeconds = (7*24*60*60);

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#78

Post by Angostura »

jokermatt999 wrote: post #69
edw wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are confused: you say that "Apple collect[s] data." Apple's software is collecting data, but is it the case that Apple has access to this data? I don't think so. There are issues of agency here: in my interpretation of things, my phone is collecting and storing the data, Apple isn't. I guess I have some sort of perverse desire to see my karma auger into the x axis thanks to this issue, because people seem…

I said "Apple collects data" as a shorthand for "Apple's software collects data and stores it on your phone" because the distinction you're making seems to be meaningless to most people. I can see your point though. Still, I don't see why this is better than an optional, third party application for this data. I also think that people should be upset at their phone keeping this data without their knowledge. You say it…

"the distinction you're making seems to be meaningless to most people"

No, the distinction is critical to most people. Apple's iPhone software records all the calls I make, the phone numbers I call and the duration. That's fine.

I'd be pretty peeved if that information was harvested by Apple Inc.

Re: IPhones and 3G iPads log your location in an unencrypted file on the device

#80

Post by edw »

ugh wrote: post #65
edw wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you think it's defensible to say that Apple is raping its users? Let's get some people who have been victims of rape in here and ask them how they feel about this over-the-top analogy.

For comparisons to be useful, you don't have to take everything literally. As far as the question of consent is concerned, the comparison is apt.

But why make the comparison if not to inflame? That's the point, isn't it? Comparing data collection to sex in the context of consent—as if the concept of consent applies in the same way, which is on its face a bold assertion—isn't about a logical argument, it's about trying to win a war over people's sentiments. And I think the sentiment that's being fought for here is irresponsible and simplistic.
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