Dirty Harry
Well-Known Member
Apple Users, Beware: iPhones Secretly Tracking Location, Experts Warn
Published April 20, 2011 | The Wall Street Journal
advertisement
Two researchers have uncovered a secret file on iPhones that keeps a record of where the phone has been and when it was there -- a file that's unencrypted and stored by default.
The security experts, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, created a program that lets you see just what your phone knows of your whereabouts-- and its a creepy sight. Theres no evidence that the file is transferred to Apple, but the maps produced by the program show details stretching back months.
Ever since iOS 4 arrived, your device has been storing a long list of locations and time stamps, said Allan in a post on the website of technology publisher OReilly. He and Warden, a former Apple employee, are presenting their findings Wednesday at the Where 2.0 conference put on by the publisher. The Guardian newspaper also has reported on their discovery.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This kind of cellphone tracking will come as no surprise to Wall Street Journal readers, of course. Back in December, a Journal investigation revealed that many of the most popular smartphone applications go further than this. An examination of 101 apps showed that 56 sent the phones unique device ID to other companies without users awareness or consent, and 47 sent location information. Companies receiving such data included Apple and Google, as well as advertising networks.
Read more about Apple's secret tracking program at the Wall Street Journal.
Published April 20, 2011 | The Wall Street Journal
Two researchers have uncovered a secret file on iPhones that keeps a record of where the phone has been and when it was there -- a file that's unencrypted and stored by default.
The security experts, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, created a program that lets you see just what your phone knows of your whereabouts-- and its a creepy sight. Theres no evidence that the file is transferred to Apple, but the maps produced by the program show details stretching back months.
Ever since iOS 4 arrived, your device has been storing a long list of locations and time stamps, said Allan in a post on the website of technology publisher OReilly. He and Warden, a former Apple employee, are presenting their findings Wednesday at the Where 2.0 conference put on by the publisher. The Guardian newspaper also has reported on their discovery.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This kind of cellphone tracking will come as no surprise to Wall Street Journal readers, of course. Back in December, a Journal investigation revealed that many of the most popular smartphone applications go further than this. An examination of 101 apps showed that 56 sent the phones unique device ID to other companies without users awareness or consent, and 47 sent location information. Companies receiving such data included Apple and Google, as well as advertising networks.
Read more about Apple's secret tracking program at the Wall Street Journal.
