Apple responds to location tracking controversy
This morning, Apple officially responded to the location tracking controversy that has plagued the Cupertino company. [Apple executives, including Steve Jobs, spoke on the record with AllThingsD about the issue.]
In a press release, Apple asserted that it is not tracking user locations (despite suggestions to the contrary). The 'configuration.db' file stored on the handset includes a database of local cell towers and WiFi hotspots; this cache is used to assist in location services and speed up the device's 'fix' in identifying where it is; a GPS-only fix without any hints from other information could date several minutes.
The locations in the file don't represent the phone's actual location, according to Apple; the points recorded may be up to 100 miles away from the phone's true location. The fact that the location data is kept for so long? That's a bug, according to Apple.
To ameliorate any further problems, Apple will issue a software update to:
- reduce the size of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database cached on the iPhone
- cease backing up this cache
- delete this cache entirely when Location Services is turned off
This update will land on handsets in the upcoming weeks. A future update will also encrypt this information and make it less readily available to spying eyes.
The 'locationgate' tempest blew up last week when a pair of researchers published a report that revealed Apple was storing months worth of location data on the iPhone and 3G iPad. This information was originally discovered last year and flew under the radar until the iPhone Tracker app let users see the stored location data.
This data moves from the phone to the user's computer when the iOS device syncs via iTunes. The iPhone Tracker app grabs the data from the user's computer and displays it in a map that was an eye-opener for most people.
This revelation spurned an angry letter from Minnesota senator Al Franken and at least one lawsuit.
Apple Q&A on Location Data
CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple would like to respond to the questions we have recently received about the gathering and use of location information by our devices.
1. Why is Apple tracking the location of my iPhone?
Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so.
2. Then why is everyone so concerned about this?
Providing mobile users with fast and accurate location information while preserving their security and privacy has raised some very complex technical issues which are hard to communicate in a soundbite. Users are confused, partly because the creators of this new technology (including Apple) have not provided enough education about these issues to date.
3. Why is my iPhone logging my location?
The iPhone is not logging your location. Rather, it's maintaining a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers around your current location, some of which may be located more than one hundred miles away from your iPhone, to help your iPhone rapidly and accurately calculate its location when requested. Calculating a phone's location using just GPS satellite data can take up to several minutes. iPhone can reduce this time to just a few seconds by using Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data to quickly find GPS satellites, and even triangulate its location using just Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data when GPS is not available (such as indoors or in basements). These calculations are performed live on the iPhone using a crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data that is generated by tens of millions of iPhones sending the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers in an anonymous and encrypted form to Apple.
4. Is this crowd-sourced database stored on the iPhone?
The entire crowd-sourced database is too big to store on an iPhone, so we download an appropriate subset (cache) onto each iPhone. This cache is protected but not encrypted, and is backed up in iTunes whenever you back up your iPhone. The backup is encrypted or not, depending on the user settings in iTunes. The location data that researchers are seeing on the iPhone is not the past or present location of the iPhone, but rather the locations of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers surrounding the iPhone's location, which can be more than one hundred miles away from the iPhone. We plan to cease backing up this cache in a software update coming soon (see Software Update section below).
5. Can Apple locate me based on my geo-tagged Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data?
No. This data is sent to Apple in an anonymous and encrypted form. Apple cannot identify the source of this data.
6. People have identified up to a year's worth of location data being stored on the iPhone. Why does my iPhone need so much data in order to assist it in finding my location today?
This data is not the iPhone's location data-it is a subset (cache) of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database which is downloaded from Apple into the iPhone to assist the iPhone in rapidly and accurately calculating location. The reason the iPhone stores so much data is a bug we uncovered and plan to fix shortly (see Software Update section below). We don't think the iPhone needs to store more than seven days of this data.
7. When I turn off Location Services, why does my iPhone sometimes continue updating its Wi-Fi and cell tower data from Apple's crowd-sourced database?
It shouldn't. This is a bug, which we plan to fix shortly (see Software Update section below).
8. What other location data is Apple collecting from the iPhone besides crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data?
Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years.
9. Does Apple currently provide any data collected from iPhones to third parties?
We provide anonymous crash logs from users that have opted in to third-party developers to help them debug their apps. Our iAds advertising system can use location as a factor in targeting ads. Location is not shared with any third party or ad unless the user explicitly approves giving the current location to the current ad (for example, to request the ad locate the Target store nearest them).
10. Does Apple believe that personal information security and privacy are important?
Yes, we strongly do. For example, iPhone was the first to ask users to give their permission for each and every app that wanted to use location. Apple will continue to be one of the leaders in strengthening personal information security and privacy.
Software Update
Sometime in the next few weeks Apple will release a free iOS software update that:
reduces the size of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database cached on the iPhone,
ceases backing up this cache, and
deletes this cache entirely when Location Services is turned off.
In the next major iOS software release the cache will also be encrypted on the iPhone.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple's PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.
© 2011 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPhone and iTunes are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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This morning, Apple officially responded to the location tracking controversy that has plagued the Cupertino company. [Apple executives,...
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Being scared of your "GPS-enabled" phone keeping a log of GPS locations is like being scared of your phone keeping a list of recently called numbers.
April 27 2011 at 8:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe world has gone stressy about iPhones storing your location data - Am I the only person who will be sad when I can no longer make a little map of where I have been in the last year or so?
Let's take bets if this will be a 4.3 / post 3G update only...
April 27 2011 at 1:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI actually found the information to be a very interesting insight into my own personal habits and travels. I can honestly say I will be sorry to see the data go.
April 27 2011 at 1:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWait, so you think this is a good enough response?!
Apple have just confirmed that the data is not only being captured by your phone without your permission but it's being sent (albeit encrypted) back to Apple where they're using it, amongst other things, to make money from location-relevant advertising.
Also, because I think this is an issue, I'm "confused"?! WTF.
But you gave Apple permission to store data on your phone. You DID read your your EULA, right? And you read the Apple statement from today? So you know that no data about you is being sent to Apple, right?
As to the confusion issue... if you think that Apple caching wifi and cell tower data that doesn't have anything to do with you is an issue, then calling you confused is unfair and inaccurate. It seems more likely that you're paranoid.
So, is there going to be a Cydia tweak to turn it back on? I rather liked looking at the map of where I had been.
April 27 2011 at 12:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyA sad day for location based services that could deliver awesome content based on current and historical data
April 27 2011 at 12:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThis has been such a ridiculous misinformation campaign from the start, with a touch of the telephone game added in for further distortion. I looked at the data on my phone the first day this app to read it came out and found it full of holes and quite inaccurate. I started to believe it was just cell tower and WiFi data, before they accounted this just because the plots were on a grid (cell towers) for a lot of it. But when downtown Chicago started showing up I know it was WiFi since I just had a two day internet outage on my internet and I ended up with a new IP that wrongly points to downtown Chicago. Also, when I took a trip last fall it showed points in Minneapolis/St. Paul when I was 80 mile away from there.
It just shows that a little misinformation can create a lot of drama over nothing and idiots will feed on it.
The silliest part of this whole thing starts with 'someone has access to your computer/phone'. That part is stated, but then just sped right past. Like it's an everyday occurrence! Listen, if someone has my computer or phone and means me harm, the least of my worries is my location history. God, they'd know EVERYTHING about me.
I know this. I take precautions. None insurmountable, but still, they give me a little time to 'nuke' (find my iPhone) change (passwords) and inform (banks!). I mean, come on people, this is your stuff... It's YOUR job to protect it!
This IS a big deal! Ever since this story broke I've been so worried I could hardly sleep! The meer thought that someone with unencumbered access to my computer could look at this file and see 'almost' where my phone has been... FEARFULL!
What's worse is it got me to thinking. Even if Apple fixes this, what if that same person with my computer was to open iPhoto and go through my photos! They show 'EXACTLY' where my phone was and when! What's worse, they show the people I care about, the kind of car I drive, possessions I have in my house... LORD! All kinds of stuff! (I think I feel faint)
Somebody PLEASE tell me what Apple is gonna do about this! One cannot possibly be expected to take personal responsibility for their actions with technology these days... Senator Franken, PLEASE HELP!!!
I love it. Excellent use of sarcasm to illustrate the common chicken little approach to this "problem".
April 27 2011 at 11:20 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOK, now say the same thing in the voice of an abused spouse or political dissident in a country with an oppressive regime.
True, no-one gives a flying one about your location but there are some people whose lives depend on it not being captured.
I can certainly attest to the fact that the location data is not precise. I've looked at mine using the app developed by the two chaps who really got this ball rolling and there are definitely blips on the map in places that I absolutely have not been.
Still, good to see that Apple will address how long info is stored and how it is protected.
To be sure, everybody you can collect data on you, IS collecting data on you. The only way to effectively limit that is to go off grid - but note that I said limit, not eliminate. Traffic cams and other security cameras, as well as technologies we probably don't even know about, will continue to collect passively and in some cases actively. That is the way of a wired world.
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