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iPhone and iPad logging detailed information about your whereabouts

TavTav Irish Minister for DefenceRegistered User regular
edited April 2011 in Debate and/or Discourse
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/iphone_ipad_log_detailed_location_tracking_data/
Security researchers raised eyebrows on Wednesday when they revealed that Apple’s iPhone and iPad with 3G support maintain detailed location logs that track user locations and that the data is stored on unencrypted their computer. The discovery of the not-so-hidden files has led to privacy concerns, although it doesn’t appear that Apple is collecting the location tracking data.

The location data file is stored on the user’s iPhone or 3G iPad as well as in the backup files that iTunes generates when a user syncs their device with their computer, according to Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan, the researchers that discovered the potential privacy issue. By default, the information is stored unencrypted, which means anyone with access to the user’s computer has the potential to see detailed information about where the iPhone has been, including latitude, longitude and time stamps.

Based on their research, Mr. Warden and Mr. Allan don’t think Apple is collecting any of the tracking data. Instead, it simply sits in unused files on user’s computers and iPhones.

20110420iphone_locationtracking.png

Yow! Your iPhone is tracking exactly where you are.The iPhone is logging detailed tracking data

It appears Apple began storing location data around the time iOS 4 was released. In The Mac Observer’s tests, we found that the oldest location data recorded was from June 16, 2010, which also happens to be the same day iTunes 9.2 was released. iOS 4 rolled out a few days later on June 21. It also appears that the location tracking file appears only for GSM-based iPhones, which means Verizon iPhone users aren’t impacted by this — at least for now.

To help illustrate how much information Apple is logging, the researchers cobbled together an application that access the tracking file and plots the data on a map. They intentionally reduced the accuracy of the plotted information to help limit potential abuse.

“Apple has made it possible for almost anybody — a jealous spouse, a private detective – with access to your phone or computer to get detailed information about where you’ve been,” Mr. Warden said.

Apple isn’t saying why it is logging such highly detailed location data, or why the information is available in an easily accessible file. While it’s easy to jump to conspiracy theories, it’s more likely the company plans on using the information at some point for social networking services or targeted marketing.

“[Apple] have new features in mind that require a history of your location, but that’s pure speculation,” Mr. Warden said. “The fact that it’s transferred across devices when you restore or migrate is evidence the data-gathering isn’t accidental.”

iPhone owners can add a little more protection for their privacy by encrypting the backup files that are stored on their Mac so a password is required to access the content. Here’s how:

Launch iTunes and connect your iPhone to your computer.
Select your iPhone in the Library list in iTunes, then choose the Summary tab.
Scroll to the bottom of the window and check Encrypt iPhone backup.
Enter a password when prompted.

The data on your iPhone is stored in an unencrypted format unless you use a passcode lock. The passcode feature on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad can be enabled by tapping Settings > General > Passcode Lock. If a simple four-digit security code doesn’t offer enough protection, users can enable iOS’s more secure passcode feature, too.

While logging mobile phone location data isn’t something new, Apple’s decision to store that information in an unencrypted file without user’s knowledge falls outside of common industry practices. To obtain that data for other phones, authorities or private investigators would need to gain a court order that compels the service provider to had over the files.

Apple hasn’t commented on its location tracking practices.

Just a quick OP for the sake of getting a thread up. Being in class and whatnot...

By all accounts, this is pretty shocking. It's pretty scary that this type of information is being logged without users knowing. This means that anyone who can get their hands on your phone will have details about where you've been since last summer. I doubt that this is illegal but it's still poor form. It also highlights the advantages of open source software. Google would never get away with this sort of thing since Android has been scrutinized by developers...

edit: Try it out for yourself!

Tav on
«134

Posts

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    I'm pretty liberal but I'm finding it hard to really care that my cell phone, which isn't transmitting this information, is storing where I've been. It's not like someone following me can't pretty much compile the same list, and that's not exactly illegal. And that person could even share it with others.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Donkey KongDonkey Kong Putting Nintendo out of business with AI nips Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    I'd like to know what this information is for. Is it ever being read off the phone? My phone is jailbroken, I should check it out.

    Donkey Kong on
    Thousands of hot, local singles are waiting to play at bubbulon.com.
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    1) There's no evidence that it is transmitting this data. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
    2) Is there a way (say, through a trojan horse) to get the iPhone to pony up the data? (Pun intended.)
    3) Is there a way to delete the data?
    4) What the hell is the purpose of tracking the data? I can understand, maybe tracking 24 hours worth for diagnostic purposes... but months?

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    BTW, slightly relevant:

    http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/34/3458.asp
    4/19/2011
    Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops
    ACLU seeks information on Michigan program that allows cops to download information from smart phones belonging to stopped motorists.

    CelleBriteThe Michigan State Police have a high-tech mobile forensics device that can be used to extract information from cell phones belonging to motorists stopped for minor traffic violations. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan last Wednesday demanded that state officials stop stonewalling freedom of information requests for information on the program.

    ACLU learned that the police had acquired the cell phone scanning devices and in August 2008 filed an official request for records on the program, including logs of how the devices were used. The state police responded by saying they would provide the information only in return for a payment of $544,680. The ACLU found the charge outrageous.

    "Law enforcement officers are known, on occasion, to encourage citizens to cooperate if they have nothing to hide," ACLU staff attorney Mark P. Fancher wrote. "No less should be expected of law enforcement, and the Michigan State Police should be willing to assuage concerns that these powerful extraction devices are being used illegally by honoring our requests for cooperation and disclosure."

    A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and video off of an iPhone within one-and-a-half minutes. The device works with 3000 different phone models and can even defeat password protections.

    "Complete extraction of existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images, and geotags," a CelleBrite brochure explains regarding the device's capabilities. "The Physical Analyzer allows visualization of both existing and deleted locations on Google Earth. In addition, location information from GPS devices and image geotags can be mapped on Google Maps."

    The ACLU is concerned that these powerful capabilities are being quietly used to bypass Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.

    "With certain exceptions that do not apply here, a search cannot occur without a warrant in which a judicial officer determines that there is probable cause to believe that the search will yield evidence of criminal activity," Fancher wrote. "A device that allows immediate, surreptitious intrusion into private data creates enormous risks that troopers will ignore these requirements to the detriment of the constitutional rights of persons whose cell phones are searched."

    The national ACLU is currently suing the Department of Homeland Security for its policy of warrantless electronic searches of laptops and cell phones belonging to people entering the country who are not suspected of committing any crime.

    Sure, this is almost certainly illegal.

    But that's the problem. People sometimes engage in illegal snooping. You can't expect the Constitution to protect you. The owner of a device should not only be notified, but should be able to control (within reason), what data is being stored on that device.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • dlinfinitidlinfiniti Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    i'm guessing this is an axed feature that was probably supposed to be like their version of latitude but since it never made primetime, they never bothered to tell people about it despite keeping the backend code in
    thats about the best case scenario for them i can think of

    dlinfiniti on
    AAAAA!!! PLAAAYGUUU!!!!
  • Donkey KongDonkey Kong Putting Nintendo out of business with AI nips Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    1.) Right. As much as we make fun of Rumsfeld, this is always important to keep in mind.

    2.) Any means by which you can get code executing as root means you can get access to this data. FOr example, the iPhone jailbreak exploit that worked through Safari would have been able to get at all the data and transmit it somewhere.

    3.) You can delete it from the backups pretty easily. You can also delete it from the phone very easily if you are jailbroken or have a developer account.

    4.) I really wish I knew. I sort of suspect it might be used for the geotagging photos feature in the short term and is just kept in the long term for some sort of future idea.

    Donkey Kong on
    Thousands of hot, local singles are waiting to play at bubbulon.com.
  • Donkey KongDonkey Kong Putting Nintendo out of business with AI nips Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    DK's New England Herpes

    NE_herpes.jpg

    What's interesting is that I apparently teleported to Philly. Really, I was listening to Pandora the whole way on my phone. That suggests something interesting about the when this data might be collected.

    Donkey Kong on
    Thousands of hot, local singles are waiting to play at bubbulon.com.
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    DK's New England Herpes

    NE_herpes.jpg

    What's interesting is that I apparently teleported to Philly. Really, I was listening to Pandora the whole way on my phone. That suggests something interesting about the when this data might be collected.

    You think that some applications (Pandora being the most prominent example) interrupt this data collection while they're running?

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • Donkey KongDonkey Kong Putting Nintendo out of business with AI nips Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Yeah, I think it must only collect data when the data connection is idle or the phone is idle. Something like that.

    Donkey Kong on
    Thousands of hot, local singles are waiting to play at bubbulon.com.
  • dlinfinitidlinfiniti Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    man
    upstate/north county NY is like the worst

    dlinfiniti on
    AAAAA!!! PLAAAYGUUU!!!!
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    1) There's no evidence that it is transmitting this data. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
    2) Is there a way (say, through a trojan horse) to get the iPhone to pony up the data? (Pun intended.)
    3) Is there a way to delete the data?
    4) What the hell is the purpose of tracking the data? I can understand, maybe tracking 24 hours worth for diagnostic purposes... but months?
    The data could also theoretically be subpoena'd.

    Thanatos on
  • Donkey KongDonkey Kong Putting Nintendo out of business with AI nips Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    dlinfiniti wrote: »
    man
    upstate/north county NY is like the worst

    But the Adirondacks in the middle are pretty awesome.

    Donkey Kong on
    Thousands of hot, local singles are waiting to play at bubbulon.com.
  • dlinfinitidlinfiniti Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    dlinfiniti wrote: »
    man
    upstate/north county NY is like the worst

    But the Adirondacks in the middle are pretty awesome.

    this is true
    i also like how you go right up to boston but have enough sense not to go in :P

    dlinfiniti on
    AAAAA!!! PLAAAYGUUU!!!!
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Thanatos wrote: »
    Feral wrote: »
    1) There's no evidence that it is transmitting this data. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
    2) Is there a way (say, through a trojan horse) to get the iPhone to pony up the data? (Pun intended.)
    3) Is there a way to delete the data?
    4) What the hell is the purpose of tracking the data? I can understand, maybe tracking 24 hours worth for diagnostic purposes... but months?
    The data could also theoretically be subpoena'd.

    Oh god, you're right.


    uugggggghhhhhhh

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • finalflight89finalflight89 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    DK's New England Herpes

    NE_herpes.jpg

    What's interesting is that I apparently teleported to Philly. Really, I was listening to Pandora the whole way on my phone. That suggests something interesting about the when this data might be collected.

    You think that some applications (Pandora being the most prominent example) interrupt this data collection while they're running?

    This might have something to do with it:
    To make it less useful for snoops, the spatial and temporal accuracy of the data has been artificially reduced. You can only animate week-by-week even though the data is timed to the second, and if you zoom in you’ll see the points are constrained to a grid, so your exact location is not revealed. The underlying database has no such constraints, unfortunately.

    finalflight89 on
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    bowen wrote: »
    I'm pretty liberal but I'm finding it hard to really care that my cell phone, which isn't transmitting this information, is storing where I've been. It's not like someone following me can't pretty much compile the same list, and that's not exactly illegal. And that person could even share it with others.

    Storing it in cleartext means anyone with unauthorized access to your Mac can take this data. Also note that the granularity offered in the database itself is much finer than what the app will display - they deliberately didn't provide the maximum possible detail.

    The basic principle here is that your devices should not record information without clearly telling you (i.e. no burying it in the EULA), and should not perform operations you didn't instruct them to perform, ever.

    Anyone seen a PC port for this yet?

    spool32 on
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    So. What exactly are people going to gather with my whereabouts not discreet enough to know what building I'm in? They'd have better luck hiring someone to follow me for a week then getting useful information from my iPhone.

    It's pretty stupid, sure, but useful it is not. There's probably more incriminating evidence in your call log.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    bowen wrote: »
    So. What exactly are people going to gather with my whereabouts not discreet enough to know what building I'm in? They'd have better luck hiring someone to follow me for a week then getting useful information from my iPhone.

    It's pretty stupid, sure, but useful it is not. There's probably more incriminating evidence in your call log.

    Look up the DC Circuit ruling against warrantless GPS tagging of cars. It explains the problems in detail.

    AngelHedgie on
    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    bowen wrote: »
    So. What exactly are people going to gather with my whereabouts not discreet enough to know what building I'm in? They'd have better luck hiring someone to follow me for a week then getting useful information from my iPhone.

    It's pretty stupid, sure, but useful it is not. There's probably more incriminating evidence in your call log.

    The amount of "incriminating" information contained in a detailed, timestamped map of your location is going to be heavily dependent on whether you, personally, are doing incriminating things while carrying your phone. Perhaps you don't do anything private or questionable, and are always honest about your whereabouts when speaking with family and friends, but others are probably not so virtuous.

    Moreover "You only need privacy if you've got something to hide" is hardly a valid position to start from.

    spool32 on
  • JustinSane07JustinSane07 Really, stupid? Brockton__BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2011
    Gizmodo ran a story on this.

    Apparently, you can delete the data but it just keeps coming back. There's no way to turn this off.

    JustinSane07 on
  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Now I'm gonna start stalkin donkey Kong

    nexuscrawler on
  • retrovmretrovm Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    oh shit.

    retrovm on
  • JihadJesusJihadJesus Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Gizmodo ran a story on this.

    Apparently, you can delete the data but it just keeps coming back. There's no way to turn this off.

    ...and people really think this is no big deal? Just by walking around, there's an unprotected record that tracks your location at all times? This is literally a level of crazy paranoia that could have gotten you institutionalized if you had told someone you thought they were doing it.

    Crazy person: "No, you don't understand! They built it into my phone and I can't turn it off! It logs my location constantly, it's all recorded in the database! They could always find me! That's why I threw away anything that used electicity and live in this cardboard hut!

    It doesn't sound like they're collecting this info yet, but it's incredibly stupid to even collect it. It's about 10 times stupider to not *tell* people you're collecting it for no good reason, and another 10 times stupide than that not to let them turn it off.

    JihadJesus on
  • retrovmretrovm Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    it just seems completely unnecessary and creepy to me. why is all of this data even being put together in the first place, with no real way of deleting it or disabling it?

    retrovm on
  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Location-aware advertising is The Next Big Thing

    Robman on
  • syndalissyndalis Getting Classy On the WallRegistered User, Loves Apple Products regular
    edited April 2011
    Robman wrote: »
    Location-aware advertising is The Next Big Thing

    Which is FINE.

    But it needs to be opt-in, NOT opt-out, and the ads should only hit when you are in the location and not something that pegs you weeks or months later at an inopportune time.

    Hey honey, why are you getting a 100 dollar funbucks coupon to a strip club in Vegas? I thought you were at a business convention...

    syndalis on
    SW-4158-3990-6116
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  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Robman wrote: »
    Location-aware advertising is The Next Big Thing

    Posting this again seems relevant:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsxxsrn2Tfs

    bowen wrote: »
    So. What exactly are people going to gather with my whereabouts not discreet enough to know what building I'm in? They'd have better luck hiring someone to follow me for a week then getting useful information from my iPhone.

    It's pretty stupid, sure, but useful it is not. There's probably more incriminating evidence in your call log.

    Look up the DC Circuit ruling against warrantless GPS tagging of cars. It explains the problems in detail.

    What's the gist of it?

    shryke on
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    JihadJesus wrote: »
    Gizmodo ran a story on this.

    Apparently, you can delete the data but it just keeps coming back. There's no way to turn this off.

    ...and people really think this is no big deal? Just by walking around, there's an unprotected record that tracks your location at all times? This is literally a level of crazy paranoia that could have gotten you institutionalized if you had told someone you thought they were doing it.

    Crazy person: "No, you don't understand! They built it into my phone and I can't turn it off! It logs my location constantly, it's all recorded in the database! They could always find me! That's why I threw away anything that used electicity and live in this cardboard hut!

    It doesn't sound like they're collecting this info yet, but it's incredibly stupid to even collect it. It's about 10 times stupider to not *tell* people you're collecting it for no good reason, and another 10 times stupide than that not to let them turn it off.

    According to the link you can enable encryption, if that makes you feel any better.

    Edit, wait, I read it again, that actually made it a little worse.
    What can I do to remove this data?

    This database of your locations is stored on your iPhone as well as in any of the automatic backups that are made when you sync it with iTunes. One thing that will help is choosing encrypted backups, since that will prevent other users or programs on your machine from viewing the data, but there will still be a copy on your device.

    So if you sync it with iTunes, the data is now on your computer. You can encrypt that, but not the record on the phone. At least, that's my read.

    ArbitraryDescriptor on
  • Void SlayerVoid Slayer Very Suspicious Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Well, there was a shooting in location x at time y, and you were nearby according to this phone log, so were arresting you.

    Void Slayer on
    He's a shy overambitious dog-catcher on the wrong side of the law. She's an orphaned psychic mercenary with the power to bend men's minds. They fight crime!
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Here's a decent review of the ruling. In short, it points out that being followed by an observer is nowhere near the level of surveillance that the logs of a GPS tracker provides, and that the logs can reveal a lot about the person just by analysis of their movements.

    (This is a case to watch - its split with the Ninth, so expect to see it go to SCOTUS.)

    AngelHedgie on
    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • BagginsesBagginses __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2011
    I suppose one benign explanation is that it's some sort of location-adaptive call-quality/reception program in which the programmer accidentally left in a save command. That might explain why it uses cell-tower triangulation instead of GPS. Of course, you can turn off the GPS, so it could be to make sure that you can't stop them.

    Bagginses on
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Here's a decent review of the ruling. In short, it points out that being followed by an observer is nowhere near the level of surveillance that the logs of a GPS tracker provides, and that the logs can reveal a lot about the person just by analysis of their movements.

    (This is a case to watch - its split with the Ninth, so expect to see it go to SCOTUS.)

    Also, the iPhone will have a record of data recorded prior to the involvement of law enforcement.

    If I'm involved in a nasty divorce and custody battle... sure my spouse might hire a private investigator (or even bug my car) to follow me around for a week or two. That's bad.

    Subpoenaing my phone and finding out everywhere I've been for the last year? Not even comparable. Completely different league.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    Thanatos wrote: »
    Feral wrote: »
    1) There's no evidence that it is transmitting this data. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
    2) Is there a way (say, through a trojan horse) to get the iPhone to pony up the data? (Pun intended.)
    3) Is there a way to delete the data?
    4) What the hell is the purpose of tracking the data? I can understand, maybe tracking 24 hours worth for diagnostic purposes... but months?
    The data could also theoretically be subpoena'd.
    Oh god, you're right.


    uugggggghhhhhhh
    As an FYI, you can do pretty much the same thing with a traditional cell phone, it just takes a bit more work.

    See, every cell tower can tell you what direction you're in from that cell tower if you're within range, and you make or receive a phone call. If you're within range of at least two cell towers, the cell phone company knows pretty much exactly where you are, anyhow, if they care to figure it out.

    Those records, however, are generally only kept on-hand for between 90 days and a year. Also, it's some trouble to pull them, and figure things out.

    Thanatos on
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    Here's a decent review of the ruling. In short, it points out that being followed by an observer is nowhere near the level of surveillance that the logs of a GPS tracker provides, and that the logs can reveal a lot about the person just by analysis of their movements.

    (This is a case to watch - its split with the Ninth, so expect to see it go to SCOTUS.)

    Also, the iPhone will have a record of data recorded prior to the involvement of law enforcement.

    If I'm involved in a nasty divorce and custody battle... sure my spouse might hire a private investigator (or even bug my car) to follow me around for a week or two. That's bad.

    Subpoenaing my phone and finding out everywhere I've been for the last year? Not even comparable. Completely different league.

    As you aren't legally obligated to keep the data, you can delete it whenever you want. When you visit your secret safety deposit boxes, for example. Then when the subpoena comes they won't have anything.

    As I understand it, you can't turn the logging off, but you can purge the records.

    ArbitraryDescriptor on
  • Void SlayerVoid Slayer Very Suspicious Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    Here's a decent review of the ruling. In short, it points out that being followed by an observer is nowhere near the level of surveillance that the logs of a GPS tracker provides, and that the logs can reveal a lot about the person just by analysis of their movements.

    (This is a case to watch - its split with the Ninth, so expect to see it go to SCOTUS.)

    Also, the iPhone will have a record of data recorded prior to the involvement of law enforcement.

    If I'm involved in a nasty divorce and custody battle... sure my spouse might hire a private investigator (or even bug my car) to follow me around for a week or two. That's bad.

    Subpoenaing my phone and finding out everywhere I've been for the last year? Not even comparable. Completely different league.

    As you aren't legally obligated to keep the data, you can delete it whenever you want. When you visit your secret safety deposit boxes, for example. Then when the subpoena comes they won't have anything.

    As I understand it, you can't turn the logging off, but you can purge the records.

    Just because you delete something doesn't mean it is gone, unless you are suggesting that every time I visit my safety deposit box I take out the data storage device, clone only what i want to keep, replace the new one, then drill holes int he old one and melt it in a furnace.

    Void Slayer on
    He's a shy overambitious dog-catcher on the wrong side of the law. She's an orphaned psychic mercenary with the power to bend men's minds. They fight crime!
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    Here's a decent review of the ruling. In short, it points out that being followed by an observer is nowhere near the level of surveillance that the logs of a GPS tracker provides, and that the logs can reveal a lot about the person just by analysis of their movements.

    (This is a case to watch - its split with the Ninth, so expect to see it go to SCOTUS.)

    Also, the iPhone will have a record of data recorded prior to the involvement of law enforcement.

    If I'm involved in a nasty divorce and custody battle... sure my spouse might hire a private investigator (or even bug my car) to follow me around for a week or two. That's bad.

    Subpoenaing my phone and finding out everywhere I've been for the last year? Not even comparable. Completely different league.

    As you aren't legally obligated to keep the data, you can delete it whenever you want. When you visit your secret safety deposit boxes, for example. Then when the subpoena comes they won't have anything.

    As I understand it, you can't turn the logging off, but you can purge the records.

    Just because you delete something doesn't mean it is gone, unless you are suggesting that every time I visit my safety deposit box I take out the data storage device, clone only what i want to keep, replace the new one, then drill holes int he old one and melt it in a furnace.
    I sat here wondering "Does that even work for flash storage? It's like... different?"

    Then I remembered that I was an idiot, and had just done exactly that a few weeks ago. The guy's flash drive still had every revision he ever made to the file he lost.

    So yeah. Good point. Creepy.

    ArbitraryDescriptor on
  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    The best way to avoid being tracked is to not own a cell phone, to not use the internet except at home, to not participate in social networking in any way, to communicate almost entirely by mail, to not own a credit card nor to do anything except take out cash from the same ATM and to pay for everything with cash...

    Basically, to not function in modern society.

    Robman on
  • useless4useless4 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Robman wrote: »
    The best way to avoid being tracked is to not own a cell phone, to not use the internet except at home, to not participate in social networking in any way, to communicate almost entirely by mail, to not own a credit card nor to do anything except take out cash from the same ATM and to pay for everything with cash...

    Basically, to not function in modern society.

    Actually you want to use the internet everywhere but home. if you use it at home they know where you live.

    useless4 on
  • kildykildy Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    This seems entirely focused on location aware ads, but really poorly implemented. Like, stupidly poorly.

    The cop phone scanner strikes me as even more of a story out of this thread, but just because I can't fathom what data a cop would even WANT off a cel phone during a traffic stop. Like, the only thing I could see it being useful for would be in nicer phones being able to prove your speed for the past few miles. But my pictures? What?

    kildy on
  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    There have been a lot of cities and counties that have been pitched for-profit GOCO prisons as a cure-all revenue source to pay for all their sagging infrastructure. Well as it turns out a lot of these prisons actually aren't needed and they sit empty, and the local police need to come up with some way to fill these prisons up.

    As it turns out a lot of people communicate with their drug dealers via text message, and any teen who is speeding welp... you get them with a raunchy sext and you've got two people in the hole for production and possession of child pornography.

    Robman on
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