Why is my iphone tracking my location to a secret database, wifi access points and cell towers?

NiqueXyZ wrote:

how I can turn this off?

Unfortunately, this cannot be turned off. The only way to turn it off would be to disable your cellular usage but then you couldn't make calls or use data which would make your phone not a phone.

I consider this a violation of my privacy as this is done WITHOUT my consent.

Do not worry, your privacy is not violated. The data is sent anonymously and is only used by apple and third parties for research. No information that could connect you to the location data is collected. And you actually DID consent to it. In the terms and conditions when you updated to iOS 4 you agreed to allow Apple to collect this information and share it with your parties. You just didn't happen to read it before you clicked accept (like no one does). Here is a link if you'd like:

http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/iphone4.pdf

(b) Location Data. 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.

Sorry. You are correct, that is the wrong portion of the terms of service. I am positive I read an article this morning that quoted a section to the terms of service although I cannot find it anywhere in my browser history. Again very sorry. Disregard the first post.

If it was true Apple would release an article on their website about it. Going from a Third Party news source is a rookie mistake.

Believing that Apple would release information about an illegal activity is a rookie mistake, Chris91FTW. The news about this was on EVERY news segment on every channel that had a news segment.

FOX News Channel

CBS local news

You name the news segment, it was covered. Privacy is a major issue here and I doubt Apple will snitch on themselves. I smell a Class Action lawsuit with civil rights activists or is that Apple ******** themselves for getting discovered by a "3rd Party". Eh, it's probably both. Oh, and Apple has yet to comment about it since the secret was found and released publically.

You are beleiving third party sources about privacy.

This is the same as trusting 3rd party websites about the release of the iPad 2 and then iPhone 5. Websites said that the iPad 2 was gonna have a USB Port......Did it?

apple.com/hotnews and see if anything's there

Chris91FTW wrote:

You are beleiving third party sources about privacy.

This is the same as trusting 3rd party websites about the release of the iPad 2 and then iPhone 5. Websites said that the iPad 2 was gonna have a USB Port......Did it?

apple.com/hotnews and see if anything's there

Just so we are clear, even though apple has not posted an official statement, it IS happening. There is proof that it is and there is absolutely no way you can dispute that. Congress and the FCC are also looking into it:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53500.html

I love apple too, but when there is evidence of something, just because the company who manufacturers a product doesn't officially acknowledge it does not mean it isn't happening. For example, if there were reports of say Motorola's new phone catching fire in 90% of cases (all fictional by the way) and since it just was reported by the users today Motorola has not issued a recall or statement, it does not mean that the phones aren't catching fire. Again all this is fictional. Motorola's phones aren't catching fire, I just used them as an example. 😝

You certainly like kissing Apple's ***, don't you Chris91FTW. Trying to get a free device? Computer?

If Apple said you could win $1000 just for jumping, would you do it? I wouldn't. I don't think Apple would even really give you $1000 just for jumping.

Believing that Apple would snitch on themselves before news got out is still a Rookie mistake. So believing news on FOX Channel and CBS News... is not a rookie mistake, especially if you have multiple high reputation news channels covering the same story from the same source that found this file, and to top it off, proof was provided. How much dumber can you be, Chris91FTW?

You're quick to call BS on news with proof.

Lol you called Fox High Reputation. Umad bro?

FOX does have a high rep. So does CBS, CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, what other channel did I miss? You may not watch FOX, but there are others that do. All high reputation news.

What doesn't have high repuation? Personal blogs, to name one.

To quote you, "Umad bro?" for calling you out?