Your iPhone, iPad is tracking you

[357]

Your iPhone, iPad is tracking you: Four things we know so far

http://www.mlive.com/business/index....racking_y.html

Researchers Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden's discovery that the iPhone and 3G iPads keep a location history set a wave of reports and worry among cheating spouses last week.

Amid all the media bluster, here's are the four important points:

-- With a software update last June, the iPhone and 3G iPad has been updating a file called consolidated.db that uses cellphone data to keep a log of latitude and longitude coordinates and a timestamp.

-- The tracking information does not come from GPS, but from less accurate cellphone tower triangulation. So iPod Touch and iPad's with only WiFi service are not included. Even if you turn off "Location Services," this tracking information is still recorded.

-- If you were to lose your iOS device, it would take some tinkering to get the consolidated.db file off the iPhone. But since it is transferred to your computer when you synch with iTunes, seeing the data from a computer is as easy as installing the iPhone Tracker software. The iPhone Tracker does dumb down the results so they aren't as accurate as what the coordinates provided by the phone.

-- The only to kill this file is to "jailbreak" your iPhone and install an unauthorized application, which voids your warranty. To hide the incriminating file on your computer, connect your iOS device to your computer, click the iPhone or iPad and click encrypt backups and pick a password.



While it the iPhone's GPS service works faster because it is keeping a rough idea of its location via cell tower triangulation, it is puzzling why Apple would keep such an extensive log of this activity and do such a poor job of protecting it. Expect a software update soon to clean up this public relations mess.

Just a heads up...

[replicant_argent]

yeah, and the MI cops have no problem asking you to suck that info off your phone either. What is your take on it?
On a brighter note, I would think it would be easier for Apple to just have the devices ask the black choppers that circle my whereabouts daily.

Android phones are tracking you too, and this isn't anything new. They found out about this months ago, but the news sites didn't grab hold of it like now.

[ashtonlady]

You can be tracked with anything with a GPS.

[AD720]

AND...wait for it...you opted in when you accepted the terms of use for the location based services.

[CigarNut]

Supposedly the iPhone tracks and stores a "year's worth" of location data even if you opt out of location-based services. It's not clear how/when this location log is shipped to Apple.

Next thing they will be saving and scanning our text messages....

(yes that last was a joke as I know that they can't possibly have the time, engery, bandwidth or manpower to do that )

[Blueface]

[357]

Originally Posted by AD720

AND...wait for it...you opted in when you accepted the terms of use for the location based services.

-- The tracking information does not come from GPS, but from less accurate cellphone tower triangulation. So iPod Touch and iPad's with only WiFi service are not included. Even if you turn off "Location Services," this tracking information is still recorded.

[markem]

In the past, I would have argued that the file would not be inspected because it was not germane to the issue at hand (traffic stop). However, it has been pointed out to me elsewhere by a college professor who does research on technologies to benefit police agencies, that the cellular record could easily indicate traffic infractions for which you weren't caught (but are infractions anyway), provided that the sample rate is fast enough (haven't downloaded the tool yet to see).

Apparently, there are several companies that are developing products that use this hidden file for tracking movements of people on parole and others (subject to voluntary consent or court order).

Fascinating tidbit for those of the Orwellian mind and certainly predicted when GPS units started being embedded in mobile devices. On the other hand, places like Oregon that want to embed a GPS in your car, so that you pay road taxes based on mileage rather than flat fees, may have just gotten a serious boost in favor since the proposal is now well known not to be new.

[markem]

Originally Posted by 357

-- The tracking information does not come from GPS, but from less accurate cellphone tower triangulation. So iPod Touch and iPad's with only WiFi service are not included. Even if you turn off "Location Services," this tracking information is still recorded.

The new micro-cell technologies can, based on density, be more accurate than a non-military GPS signal. TI seems to be banking on these as a solid revenue source.

[N2 GOLD]

BIG brother is always watching...

[bazookajoe]

"The tracking information does not come from GPS, but from less accurate cellphone tower triangulation."

Hasn't this always been possible with calls made from cell phones? Seems the only difference here is you don't have to make a call to be tracked.

FWIW Apple says they don't track people, don't think Google can say that...

[mmblz]

more interesting - and I can't for the life of me figure out why this isn't being reported in all the articles...
if you have a mac running Snow Leopard, with wifi in it - google and download an app called iStumbler (or another called Lucubrator). run it - it will probably be able to tell you very precise coordinates of where you are, even though your mac doesn't have gps or cell phone in it. and, I'm pretty sure that it can do this courtesy of all the folks walking around every day with iPhones.....

[icehog3]

I knew I should have kept my Razr.

[thebayratt]

Good thing I still use a "dumbphone".

[loki]

so is your driod

[mmblz]

Originally Posted by mmblz

more interesting - and I can't for the life of me figure out why this isn't being reported in all the articles...
if you have a mac running Snow Leopard, with wifi in it - google and download an app called iStumbler (or another called Lucubrator). run it - it will probably be able to tell you very precise coordinates of where you are, even though your mac doesn't have gps or cell phone in it. and, I'm pretty sure that it can do this courtesy of all the folks walking around every day with iPhones.....

yup, see page 6 here:
http://markey.house.gov/docs/applema...ton7-12-10.pdf

I guess this may have been briefly in the news, but didn't seem to cause as much attention as the latest stuff....

[shilala]

They're welcome to sift through all my data whenever they please.
"Sir, it appears Mr. Shilala was on the couch."
"Hmm, what do you think he's doing on that couch so much?"
"Sir, I'd rather not think about it, if it's all the same to you."

[mosesbotbol]

When is someone going to write an app that strips this out of the phone? I don't care about location service content. My ZIP is all they need.

[replicant_argent]

Originally Posted by icehog3

I knew I should have kept my Razr.

Yes, you should have....



Now put that down, you are getting all the pages sticky.

Oh, your truck needs gas, and the right rear tire is a tich low.