I use my iPhone to check into places with Four Square. I know that when I take a picture that the IPhone "tags" the picture with my location information. I know that the GPS can track wherever I am with the phone.
I did not know that my IPhone keeps a record of every cell phone/Mobile phone tower that it receives a signal from. From the day I switched it on, it has recorded where I am.
On top of that, my IPhone records that information and saves it. In addition, that information can be downloaded from my phone to ANY and EVERY computer it syncs with.
Peter Warden and Alasdair Allan, "data scientists" discovered this whilst doing research and announced it this week. They describe the situation in this blog post saying: "our iPhone, and your 3G iPad, is regularly recording the position of your device into a hidden file. Ever since iOS 4 arrived, your device has been storing a long list of locations [latitude and longitude] and time stamps. "
I decided to check it out using a tool they they have developed called iPhone tracker. Sure enough here's my world map of all my activity since July, 2010 (I could not get my IPhone to work on my last Middle Eastern trip).
I use three different mobile phone carriers- Tmobile in the USA/Canada, 3 in Australia and 2degrees in NZ. The system keeps tracking me no matter what. Warden and Allan note that "only the iPhone records the user's location in this way"
They add: "We're not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it's clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations."
This is the picture of my cell phone usage in Australia and New Zealand since July, 2010:
"By passively logging your location without your permission, Apple have made it possible for anyone from a jealous spouse to a private investigator to get a detailed picture of your movements." Take a look at my city: Melbourne on 7th October, 2010". I had a busy day in Geelong (a city west of of Melbourne), the downtown and Eastern suburbs of Melbourne . I think the clumps in the west occurred in my travel out to Geelong. I can even zoom down to my house!
The scarey thing is that I gave Apple permission to track this. In their terms and conditions for iTunes program (which is pages long) there is a paragraph about "location-based services" which says "Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device. This location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services. For example, we may share geographic location with application providers when you opt in to their location services."
The good news is the researchers said that at this stage, the data "does not seem to be transmitted to Apple itself".
If you want to encrypt your data, here advice on how you can do it.
This is really amazing technology Martin. I would be concerned however why this information is being collected and by whom. The upshot of this I believe is that if you lose your phone you can track where it is.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine who is a cyclist dropped his phone on the road and somehow managed to locate the phone, knocking on the door of the house of the people who picked it up. I think I'll stick with my nokkia and leave the high tech stuff to those who can utilize it better ie tech wizards, teenagers and travellers.
Thanks for the comment Wendy.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is you can locate your iphone if you lose it. I don't have anywhere I am going that I want to hide.
My sister lost her phone and someone found it was hers by scrolling through the pictures on it. I have some friends who may not want people to look through their photos.
Thank god I have a smart phone coz the fine print is the matter.
ReplyDeleteThat is not all Martin. A guy down here had his car stolen, told the police there was a GPS system installed, and guess who was surprised to find the police rolling up to his door for an arrest.
ReplyDeleteI guess there is both a plus and a minus in this modern technology stuff.
Hi Sue, there are definite advantages. What tech and social media has done is to re create the small village. In a small village, everyone knew everyone's business and where they were nearly all the time. We have the same thing happening with technology
ReplyDelete