[LINK] Iphone/iPad changes: Draft APF Policy re Location Data

[Roger Clarke]

At 1:00 PM +1000 7/5/11, Graham Greenleaf wrote:
>FYI: As of this morning, iTunes offers me new iPad and iPhone 
>software which says it 'changes to the IOS crowd-sourced location 
>database cache including:
>- reduces the size of the cache
>- no longer backs the cache up to iTunes
>- deletes the cache entirely when Location Services is turned off'

I posted the ArsTechnica report on this yesterday to privacy (but not 
link).  Copy at bottom.

When it says it [no longer] "backs the cache up to iTunes", does it 
mean the same as 'synchs the cache to your own desktop/laptop device'?

Or has Apple been acquiring your location-trail into its iTunes servers?

Which I presume would be in addition to the 12-hourly collection 
referred to in the WSJ report:

APRIL 22, 2011
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703983704576277101723453610.html#ixzz1KGFVHDgp
...
Apple, meanwhile, says it "intermittently" collects location data, 
including GPS coordinates, of many iPhone users and nearby Wi-Fi 
networks and transmits that data to itself every 12 hours

_______________________________________________________________________

>Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 11:39:18 +1000
>To: privacy at lists.efa.org.au
>From: Roger Clarke <Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au>
>Subject: Apple fixes some iOS location data 'bugs'
>
>iOS 4.3.3 is out with location tracking fixes for iPhone, iPad
>By Jacqui Cheng
>ArsTechnica
>Last updated: a day ago [5 May 2011?]
>http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/05/ios-433-is-out-with-location-tracking-fixes-for-iphone-ipad.ars
>
>Apple has released an expected iOS update that addresses a number of 
>issues related to the iPhone location tracking controversy. iOS 
>4.3.3 is available via iTunes for the GSM iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, all 
>iPads, and the fourth-generation iPod touch. (Another update, iOS 
>4.2.8, is available for CDMA iPhone users.)
>
>According to the release notes, iOS 4.3.3 reduces the size of the 
>location database cache, stops backing the cache up to iTunes when 
>you connect your device to a computer, and deletes the cache 
>entirely when you turn Location Services off. There are no other 
>notes attached to the update, though it's possible (as always) that 
>Apple may have slipped some other bug fixes into it as well. (We 
>hear there are bug fixes for the iPod touch, but we're not sure what 
>those fixes are yet.)
>
>Apple came under fire late last month when two researchers made it 
>especially easy for regular people to see what their 3G-enabled 
>iPhones and iPads had collected about their whereabouts. Though the 
>existence of the location cache has never been a secret, experts 
>agreed that the release of iOS 4 last year made it easier than ever 
>for shady individuals to see where you've been, either by 
>jailbreaking your iPhone or simply accessing the file from your iOS 
>backup in iTunes. The iPhone and iPad kept logs of user locations 
>even when Location Services were turned off in the iOS settings, and 
>there was no apparent way to get rid of the log on the phone or the 
>computer.
>
>Apple finally addressed the issue a week later by answering a number 
>of questions about the cache. The company reiterated that it's not 
>tracking users and doesn't transmit the data back to Apple-the 
>company said it uses the cell tower and WiFi hotspot information to 
>help determine your location when using GPS, among other things. 
>Still, Apple said iOS's ability to keep tracking users-even after 
>Location Services was turned off-was a bug, and that a software 
>update would be released soon to fix it.
>
>The company never gave a specific timeframe for when the update 
>would be available, so today's release is somewhat of a pleasant 
>surprise. It's important to remember, however, that the location 
>cache still resides on your iPhone or iPad even though it's no 
>longer backed up to the computer. So if you don't want jealous 
>spouses or crazed stalkers to jailbreak your phone and find out 
>where you've been, you'll want to keep Location Services turned off 
>for good.


-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University