Originally posted by E2EK1EL Apple stealthily recording, storing GPS position of iPhone, 3G iPad users [video]
Several researchers at O?Reilly have discovered an extremely troubling feature of iPhones and 3G iPads running Apple?s iOS 4. In a blog post and accompanying video, the site details that Apple is storing the GPS coordinates of cellular iDevices locally, in an unencrypted and unprotected file. ?Ever since iOS 4 arrived, your device has been storing a long list of locations and time stamps,? reads the post. ?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.? O?Reilly goes on to note that along with a list of timestamped GPS coordinates, the file also contains a list of Wi-Fi access points that the affected device has been in range of. ?Anybody with access to this file knows where you?ve been over the last year, since iOS 4 was released,? the brief continues. The file in question ? named consolidated.db ? is present in the backup file created when syncing a cellular iOS device with iTunes, and, obviously, on the iOS device itself. ?Why this data is stored and how Apple intends to use it ? or not ? are important questions that need to be explored,? writes the team. Apple?s security team did not respond to O?Reilly?s request for comment. The video made by the researchers is after the break.
Edit: Apple iPhone Term & Agreement
Apple and its partners and licensees may provide certain services through your iPhone that rely upon location information. To provide and improve these services, where available, Apple and its partners and licensees may transmit, collect, maintain, process and use your location data, including the real-time geographic location of your iPhone, and location search queries. The location data and queries collected by Apple are collected in a form that does not personally identify you and may be used by Apple and its partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services. By using any location-based services on your iPhone, you agree and consent to Apple?s and its partners? and licensees? transmission, collection, maintenance, processing and use of your location data and queries to provide and improve such products and services. You may withdraw this consent at any time by going to the Location Services setting on your iPhone and either turning off the global Location Services setting or turning off the individual location settings of each location-aware application on your iPhone. Not using these location features will not impact the non location-based functionality of your iPhone. When using third party applications or services on the iPhone that use or provide location data, you are subject to and should review such third party?s terms and privacy policy on use of location data by such third party applications or services
Jailbreak utility blocks iOS from storing recorded iPhone location data
Noted jailbreak developer Ryan Petrich has released a new jailbreak-only utility tonight named untrackerd, which promises to block iOS and Apple?s ability to log your device?s location information. Petrich?s application comes in light of a new discovery that Apple?s mobile operating system tracks iOS device?s longitude and latitude. That location information is then stored on your computer?s hard drive and can later be accessed by just about anyone with the right computer skills or software. Untrackerd is available for free on the Cydia jailbreak store. Thanks, Will.
Untrackerd?s description in Cydia:
This package installs a daemon (process that can run in the background) to clean consolidated.db file) No new icons are added to your homescreen. There are no options to configure.
(I might return to Jailbreaking side of things, really don't like the whole tracking thing. I've tested Redsnow RC14 and since 4.3.2 runs choppy, compared to 4.2.1 .... this build doesn't seem to have any slowdowns or I might even downgrade to Custom IPSW of 4.2.1)
I wonder if our official option out still collects the data? Only like 1% knows about this command I've posted last year.
E2EK1EL
I've revisited the command ...
"You Have Already Opted Out
You have already succesfully opted out of interest-based ads from the iAd Network on this device. If you want to remain opted out, you do not need to do anything else.
To opt back in, click here
Please note:
This opt-out applies only to interest-based ads from the iAd Network. It does not affect interest-based ads from any other advertising network that a developer may use in their app.
You can return to this page at any time to opt back in."
VDub
It's funny how many people still type www before web addresses...
E2EK1EL
Many sites will not allow access if you type www before it, like this one
Gruber: iOS location storing is a bug, getting fixed in future iOS update
Commenting on Andy Inhatko’s article on iOS storing user’s location data, Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber reveals that iOS storing user’s location information is in fact a bug. The bug comes down to a consolidated.db being in place. This file is supposed to store a user’s recent location information to work with iOS and iOS applications, but, due to a bug, does not delete older location information.
I don’t have a definitive answer, but my little-birdie-informed understanding is that consolidated.db acts as a cache for location data, and that historical data should be getting culled but isn’t, either due to a bug or, more likely, an oversight. I.e. someone wrote the code to cache location data but never wrote code to cull non-recent entries from the cache, so that a database that’s meant to serve as a cache of your recent location data is instead a persistent log of your location history.
Gruber “wagers” that the bug will be fixed in a future release of iOS, and we tend to agree with him. We’re unsure as to why Apple is yet to comment on this issue. If you are worried about your privacy and want to block this bug, a free jailbreak utility has been released to do so.
(yeah right it was a "bug"!)
Orko
Yeah, bug my ass. If the data only needed to stored for short term, it wouldn't be kept across backups, and migrations.
This is typical of Apple's strategies. Go as far as you want, be a bad company, and then when people call you on it, back off.
They are getting hit with more and more investigations as time goes on with their unfair policies, and we will only see issues like this on the rise.
I wonder if Android has a similar feature/bug?
VDub
quote:
Originally posted by E2EK1EL
Many sites will not allow access if you type www before it, like this one
For most all browsers, and for most sites, you don't need to add the www...
The browser inserts it if it's needed...
When you typed in the site address in your video, you typed it and you didn't have to...
That's what I was referring too.....
VDub
If this was a "bug", will an update delete everything in that file on your computer???
E2EK1EL
quote:
Originally posted by Orko
Yeah, bug my ass. If the data only needed to stored for short term, it wouldn't be kept across backups, and migrations.
This is typical of Apple's strategies. Go as far as you want, be a bad company, and then when people call you on it, back off.
They are getting hit with more and more investigations as time goes on with their unfair policies, and we will only see issues like this on the rise.
I wonder if Android has a similar feature/bug?
From what I know, all phones have this feature. It’s supposed to be secured and not accessible like this at all.
Android wise, it’s always transmitting your data to Google for marketing purposes. That’s why the OS is “free” for the manufactures and carriers to use. Google is make some serious cash with Android.
Of course you can disable this and all those spybots with the right app and tweaks.
E2EK1EL
quote:
Originally posted by VDub
For most all browsers, and for most sites, you don't need to add the www...
The browser inserts it if it's needed...
When you typed in the site address in your video, you typed it and you didn't have to...
That's what I was referring too.....
It's a good habit, i vist a lot of sites that need www or don't need.
E2EK1EL
Apple Overtakes Nokia as World's Largest Phone Vendor By Revenue
Apple has overtaken Nokia as the world's largest phone vendor by revenue in the first quarter of 2011, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
"With strong volumes and high wholesale prices, the PC vendor has successfully captured revenue leadership of the total handset market in less than four years," said analyst Alex Spektor.
Apple's revenue from the iPhone rose to $11.9 billion in the last quarter, while Nokia's phone revenue slipped to $9.4 billion, the research firm said.
(Goodbye Nokia!)
VDub
Only 9.4 BILLION????
in sound the trumpets!!!
But seriously, isn't Nokia coming out with some sick W7 phones soon??
