It turns out Apple has snuck a “feature” into their latest version of iOS, which powers iPhones and iPads. It’s a little tracking software that logs everywhere you have been:
It turns out that your iPhone is keeping a record of everywhere you’ve been since June. This data is stored on your phone (or iPad) and computer, easily available to anyone who gets their hands on it. Why? Apple won’t say. We’re creeped out.
The enormous privacy startle, apparently enabled by this summer’s iOS 4 release, was discoveredby two security researchers, one of whom claims he was an Apple employee for five years. They’re equally puzzled and disturbed by the location collection: “By passively logging your location without your permission, Apple have made it possible for anyone from a jealous spouse to a private investigator to get a detailed picture of your movements,” they explain. All it would take to crack the information out of your iOS device is an easy jailbreak. On your computer, the information can be opened as easily as JPEG using the mapping software that the security experts have made for download–Try it yourself.
Apple didn’t tell anyone about this and there’s not even a way to disable it.
So why in the hell would Apple even do this? One thought was for advertising, but that goes against their policies. Another thought is that the government has asked them. If that’s the case, then why is this only in Apples and not in other mobile devices? I think these would be great questions that Congress should seek answers to.