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

[Richard Chirgwin]

The whole thing - Apple, Google and Microsoft - is pretty odious.

In the case of Google, we've had the hypocritical grovelling apology for 
collecting data from the StreetView cars. Google then introduces 
functionality to collect the data from Android devices instead. You can 
almost imagine the giggling delight in the lab - "oh yeah, we can 
crowd-source this data instead!" Google is a simple recidivist: it wants 
this data, and it only cares about how it collects the data when it gets 
in official trouble.

Official interest only comes in response to loud public objection, and 
even then, stops short of actually enforcing the law.

Along with this there is the army of unpaid astroturfers telling anybody 
who objects to shut up.

As you might guess, I limit my writing on this topic partly because it's 
hard to stay civilised in the face of such objectionable and arrogant 
behaviour from the vendors ...

RC

On 7/05/11 9:16 PM, Graham Greenleaf wrote:
> Roger,
>
> Why would it refer to a *crowd-sourced* location database if it was
> not extracting location data from the crowd? It is a suspicious
> phrase in this context.
>
> - Graham
>
> At 3:45 PM +1000 7/5/11, Roger Clarke wrote:
>> 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
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