iPhone Tracks you

[theone]

So iphone is storing location data. Bad part is the data stores on any computer you connect your I phone to. In other words, connect your iphone to a computer to download something and your location data is transferred to that computer. Now, I know I've connected my old iphone to my friend's computer to download songs. Connected it to my school's computer to download the exam schedule. This is just wrong. Good thing I got an Android last month

[Axel Moonsong]

Okay, this is not good. Is this a creepy strategy of Apple to keep the consumers in line or something like that? For God's sake, it's own privacy in the game.

[Yuffie]

I saw this on the news. It'll be easier for people to be followed, tracked down, whatever. For the public, it's not a very good thing. For the authorities, though, it may help them to track down criminals with iPhones.

[nocturnal-dance]

This IS the future. For every commodity there is a price. In the case of technology- vredit cards, mobile phones, iphones, our computers with internet connections... and others, we've basically put on and agreed to wear an electronic ID tag revealing all sorts of data to various authorities and institutions and sometimes unwated third parties. It's a matter of regulating personal data privacy policies, how they are handled, from now on. Not how to protect privacy because privacy in cyber world doesn't seem to be a relevant concept anymore. We share and store so much data with and at various institutions.

 

But I hear you should turn off gps on the iphone to make it invisible. For these reasons I always keep my bluetooth off and my device insible to others. Better keep yourself as low profile as possible, though it's not entirely possible anymore unless you disconnect from internet, throw out your credit cards and just live as if these things never happened. Which I don't think will be possible anymore as it has become embedded, rooted in our lives, something we tend to take for granted, as if a given these days. For young generations and future generastions it will be impossible to imagine how could people function without these things at all. They will laugh at the big (but suprisingly more reliable) mobile phones of the past decades.... It's a matter of change and privacy or lack of it is a part of it and as a concept it has to be redefined in these progressive and changing times.

[Axel Moonsong]

It's our privacy in the play. It's just unacceptable. Keeping track of wherever you go is just like having an annoying tutor watch you all over. What if you want to do something a bit out of ordinary and this device tracks you up?

[Suwako]

Pfft this is not the only thing that gets tracked down.

They can use your mobile phone to listen to your conversations as long a battery is inside and use the camera to see what you are doin.

[Axel Moonsong]

So you mean we pay money to get our privacy violated?

[Suwako]

Heh they are trying everything they can to pass the message that it's okay if they watch us.

What do you think all those realities are for?

Don't they do exactly that?Violate people's privacy?

Yet,people watch them.And start to believe that there is nothing wrong with having other watch them.

[Axel Moonsong]

Well, good! If people enjoy this, I have no problem with it! I am sure everybody would love to have a public in their most intimate moments, am I wrong, people?!

[theone]

Specially the fact this comes with time

So if someone steals your phone, he'll have the perfect time to burgle your house because he'll know when you will not be around

[Axel Moonsong]

Same with the thief, seriously. You can already find out where your iPhone is if it gets stolen, no doubt, that's why it's not worth for thieves to try steal one of those. I don't blame them. Knowing this, I'd go on second thoughts over the Apple products.

[theone]

No you can't. The data remains in the phone and is transferred to any computer it syncs with

[kipani]

I like the idea. I have nothing to hide, and if i ever got kidnapped, itd be a small lead to where I was last

[KTC]

@kipani: but in the wrong hands, it can also lead to your house being robbed and what not. They know your current location so they know when you're not at home. Instant target.

 

Also, it makes you incredibly easy to stalk. This would be very problematic for people who have restraining orders against someone and/or have a need to hide.

[Axel Moonsong]

I wouldn't like it. I like the intimate life, no one knowing what I am doing during the day. For me, it's very uncomfortable knowing that somebody follows and watches me constantly.

[theone]

Especially since over here, cell phone stealing at gunpoint is rampant. Someone who stole my dad's non-existent iPhone would know the perfect time to rob our house since the Maps have Time stamps

[Axel Moonsong]

http://www.iphon4all.com/2011/04/21/iphone-tracker-to-follow-you-everywhere/

 

Maybe they were referring to this?

As I know, db file extensions are always hidden and invisible. It seems it's an application which records whatever you do. It seems it's not the iPhone itself.

[iPink]

I'm not sure why this is a big deal. People always come up with unfortunate worst case scenarios where they're robbed because someone... stole... their phone? Or someone started stalking them? Or what? Is this any worse than if someone were to steal your laptop or your wallet, which is just as likely? If anybody is that interested in your personal life then they could figure it all out without the phone and more easily. People always get outraged at this sort of thing, but there's nothing sinister about it. It's just paranoia, and it annoys me. >.>

[Mopiece]

It's a big deal because it's an invasion of privacy. There is no reason for Apple to store this data.

[KTC]

@ipink: iphones shouldn't even have this function. Apple has no legitimate reason to track every move you make.

 

And I wouldn't say it mere paranoia speaking. Now that the exploit is public knowledge, you can bet people will use and exploit it. It's what people do.

 

Just look at online stalking/bullying. Here was a perfect tool to be used to torture your chosen prey online and guess what happened? People get bullied online by their real life bully.

 

This little exploit could be a great tool to plan one's movements around their chosen victim.

 

Also, I don't see the point of making it any easier to track you down or make your house easier to rob. With this, it has the potential to stick a large "ROB ME" sign at your location.

[iPink]

Perhaps Apple has no legitimate reason for the tracking, but acting like it's some kind of huge security hazard is just ridiculous. It's not going to make robbing a house easier, because whomever would be robbing the house would have to steal the phone first and then access that information and analyze your schedule. If a person is that determined to rob you then they could simply wait for you to leave and break in just as easily. People don't like the idea of it but when you actually stop and think about it you realize that, while there's little reason for the function, it's not actually a big deal. As I said, it's like losing a laptop or a wallet. Unnecessary but not particularly problematic.

 

[Mopiece]

No, iPink. They don't need the phone to access the data.

 

Any computer you connect your iPhone to stores the data. Not to mention Apple doesn't have the best security in the world, so a person could find a way to get information without the phone or knowing what computers it has been hooked up to.

 

And besides it is a huge security hazard. It's storing data that it shouldn't be storing in the first place.

[iPink]

But it's storing data that is irrelevant to most people and not especially useful to anyone at all. People must be really self-important to believe that anyone besides themselves care about that data. Fine, dislike the idea of it, but don't act like it means anything.

[Mopiece]

It doesn't matter that it's irrelevant to most people. What matter is it is data that shouldn't be stored in the first place. It has the potential of endangering people. And yes, it can be useful. Haven't you read anything that anyone has said? People can use it track people.

 

Just because you don't think it is a big deal, doesn't mean it's not. And just because you don't think it means anything, doesn't mean it is true.

 

If it really was no big deal, then do you really think people would have reported it?

[theone]

Exactly. Not to mention that my friends lose a phone daily in front of school where armed gangs roam. Now, think about it. You steal any iPhone and then you can SELL this information to other thieves