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ozsmac Author

Level 1

0 points

iOS device tracking - we need details of how to disable (urgently)

Dear Apple,

You might not consider that your users privacy is important, however we do take a different view. It has become clear that iOS devices write location and time information to a clear text file that is then automatically synced via iTunes back to our primary computers. This is not acceptable and you need to make a public statement about why this is happnening and confirming what steps we can take to ensure this is not the default behaviour.

From what I can see this leaves the following attack vectors open:

1 - Direct iOS vulerability expliot, we know that iOS has had a history of vulnerabilities, all it could take is someone directing a user to a pdf file that has an un-disclosed or un-patched vulnerability, this could possibly open this file for access and exploitation

2 - Simple access from backup stored by iTunes on PCs, perhaps it's time to enable encryption by default?? A utility has been released that reads this automatically and plots location over time on a map.

PS - Word of warning to everyone, don't run the utility to plot your location unless you want to give away your location and time to the map provider.

Posted on Apr 20, 2011 5:08 PM

73 replies

ozsmac Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 22, 2011 2:27 AM in response to DavidK2010

David, spot on!

As to the other posts, agree you raise some key points, however this doesn't change the simple fact that

1 - I didn't agree to apple keeping this information in formats that are simply accessible

2 - I did not agree to apple keeping this information for an indefinaite period of time and without ability to delete or opt out

3 - having just lived through the sky net activation and also judgement day, I'm a little more paranoid than normal ;)

Come on guys and girls, we do deserve the ability to disable this feature, opt in should be a default.

Ps - these licensing agreements mean very little in the real world and also the legal world, else we would all be screwed more often.

Appreciate the view points and open chat on this.

Kiwiphone4

Level 4

1,430 points

Apr 22, 2011 4:11 AM in response to ozsmac

This is obviously a mistake, and as serious journalists and tech writers have said this is an over sight rather then someone tracking you.

Believe me, your mobile provider is actually following you and logging the data for about a year.

This is a small issue of data being needlessly stored on your phone and your computer.

So here some thoughts;

The license agreement is concerning location services.

This cache leak is about cell tower logging.

There is no GPS locating, logging going on.

It is quite inaccurate, and anyone with the right equipment (or your service provider if they want, or someone with a warrant) can do this without you knowing.

Turn on Airplane mode if you feel so unsecure.

No one outside your computer can get this information anyway.

If you set your iphone back up to be encrypted then you are fine; if you don't then you don't care about your data anyway.

Apple doesn't keep this data; you do.

Do you have file vault turned on on your computer?

Is your phone set to erase itself after 10 attempts?

I am more concerned that it is taking up space I could be using for games, or photos.

But even then this is a small file and hardly worth getting too upset.

fumi0227

Level 1

4 points

Apr 22, 2011 7:12 AM in response to ozsmac

Is this the reason why my iPhone accumulates cellular data even while it is in idle and the push notification and the location service are off? Very annoying! This did not happen when the iPhone (3GS) was under iOS 3.x.

Apr 22, 2011 7:12 AM in response to Kiwiphone4

Apple needs to fix this issue immediately. I am a huge proponent of privacy and Apple needs to realize they are infringing on people's privacy. My contract with AT&T is coming close to ending for 3 iPhones I am paying for and I will be telling them that if this is not fixed before that date. I will be cancelling my service with them and getting rid of all iPhones on my account.

Believe me when I tell you, Apple and AT&T monitor these forums.

FLUIDNYC

Level 1

50 points

Apr 22, 2011 7:16 AM in response to paulfromcary

http://www.infowars.com/iphone-secretly-tracks-and-reports-where-you-go/

Apr 22, 2011 7:23 AM in response to ozsmac

Oh, huff puff! What is all the fuss about? What do you have to hide? Location settings are a convenience! Stop buying into all the sensationaized media hosh posh and get over it! - 99% of mobile devices have tracking and GPS built in. It is just some nerd with nothing better to do started spouting off about how iPhone apps track you and all the worms start jumping out of the woodwork.

Apr 22, 2011 7:48 AM in response to fumi0227

No, it is unrelated to cellular data usage (I hope). The location data was accumulated under 3.x, but in a different location and not easily accessible (but you will have to dig deeper to get the details of that).

Apr 22, 2011 7:53 AM in response to paulfromcary

Actually, I don't believe you. When you get rid of your iPhone, what are you going to get? In today's news is the revelation that Android does exactly the same thing, and DOES send the location information to Google. So far there's no evidence that Apple uses it for anything.

fumi0227

Level 1

4 points

Apr 22, 2011 8:22 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Is that so? In order for iPhone to collect location data, doesn't it have to make connections via 3G (or WiFi, if 3G is not available)? It still bothers me that cellular data accumulates even if the push notification and location service are set off. I know this does not happen when 3G is manually turned off.

Apr 22, 2011 8:26 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Yup, Wall St. Journal says both Apple and Google (Android) phones not only track and store the data, but all also transmit it back to their respective mothership.

P.S. as long as the cellular phone radio is active, they collect location information off of the cell towers your phone connects to. Only way to stop it is airplane mode or to turn the phone off.

Apr 22, 2011 8:53 AM in response to fumi0227

All cell phones regularly "check in" with the cellular network, several times an hour. The iPhone is no different. This is not cellular data, however. Location Service uses no data. Notifications are receive only, and since 4.3, applications can run in background even with Notifications off. Notification was a workaround for the fact that the iPhone didn't allow applications to run in background; now that they can Notifications are really unneeded as the application can leave a background process running to receive or send data. And killing it in the recently used ribbon does not necessarily kill the background process.

Apr 22, 2011 9:15 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

We did very well before I deployed smartphones and I am sure we could survive without them if none of the vendors wnt to fix this issue.

My solution to this would be simple. You can collect the data on the phone but in an encrypted file and it must be deleted every so often (10 minutes sounds reasonable).Secondly, provide a setting which either allows or disallows the information from being sent to Apple or to anyplace else with the default setting being you do not want that to happen. Let the user consciously decide if they want that information shared.

Apr 22, 2011 10:05 AM in response to Silly rabbit

"What do you have to hide?"

Nothing. What many will completely fail to comprehend is the potential and likelihood for abuse of this information. If you have nothing to hide why bother putting your regular mail inside an envelope? Why not just write everything on a card and send it through the mail? If you have nothing to hide you won't mind the government putting a tracking device on your car as well, right? Or your leg?

I have been an Apple consumer since the days of OS 7.6 and a stock holder since 2001 and I am pained by this. Today I am seriously considering making a non-iPhone my next phone.

Apr 22, 2011 10:09 AM in response to ozsmac

The utility to plot your location does not give out your information to anyone. Read the details on the site (http://petewarden.github.com/iPhoneTracker/#2). They are simply using a web view in the application in order to get the following code to run the map:

1. OpenStreetMap background tiles

2. The jQuery main script file hosted on Google

3. The OpenHeatMap script and CSS files

Kiwiphone4

Level 4

1,430 points

Apr 22, 2011 2:01 PM in response to Kelly Breed

Yeah, as always the sensational media spouts dramatised headlines and the crazies go bananas freaking out.

In the end even if Apple was sending the data to the "mothership" (ha ha you guys should do stand up), Americans would just roll over and take it.

You guys allow nude photos every time you fly.

A phone that logs data onto your computer is hardly an invasion of your privacy.

Kelly Breed wrote:

Why not just write everything on a card and send it through the mail?

Yeah, I send postcards sometimes.

paulfromcary wrote:

I will be cancelling my service with them and getting rid of all iPhones on my account.

Yeah I think you don't need a smart phone.

This is a great place of entertainment for me.

I love it when people get totally freaked out because they don't understand technology.

iOS device tracking - we need details of how to disable (urgently)