Apple responds to congressional inquiry, details location data collection in 13-page letter
By Sean Hollister 
posted July 20th 2010 1:00AM
posted July 20th 2010 1:00AM
Where it gets more interesting is when Apple explains what it actually collects, and who they share it with -- namely, Google and Skyhook, who provided location services to earlier versions of the operating system. In iOS 3.2 and beyond, only Apple has the keys to the database, and what's inside are locations of cell towers, WiFi access points, and anonymous GPS coordinates. None of these are personally identifying, as the company doesn't collect SSIDs or any data, and in the case of device coordinates they're reportedly collected and sent in encrypted batches only once every 12 hours, using a random ID generated by the phone every 24 hours that apparently can't be linked back to the device. In the case of iAd, Apple says coordinates don't even make it to a database, as they're immediately converted (by remote server) to a advertising-friendly five-digit zip code. Concerning location data collection for services other than iAd, there's still the little question of why, but we'll just leave you with Apple legal's quote on that subject after the break, and let you hit up the full document yourself at Scribd if you want the deep dive.
"To provide the high quality products and services that its customers demand, Apple must have access to comprehensive location-based information... these databases must be updated continuously to account for, among other things, the ever-changing physical landscape, more innovative uses of mobile technology, and the increasing number of Apple's customers."
@hero785
You got downranked because you said stupid things, much like that last post. So I take it that you were not aware that you can simply turn location services off? Or are you a complete fucking idiot? Let me know.
you can accuse Apple of many things, but they always pay extra attention to customer privacy (and universal access).
@Ben64 Yes they appear to be paying very close attention to their user's privacy. Not so sure about keeping it private, but they are paying close attention nonetheless.
@slipdisc
Since no actual user information even goes to Apple's servers, I'm going to guess that your head is up your ass.
It says right there in the article "None of these are personally identifying".
HUUURRRRR
@Jack
yes jack, we know you take everything apple claims as gospel, we get it. thanks a bunch.
@Psyclotr0n
So you mean that Apple is lying. And they collect identifing information anyway???
Visit here http://oo.apple.com
From your iphone web browser to opt out of location based iAds
You still get ads, just not location based ads
In short data is what it is all about. Google recognised a long time ago that by controlling the Internet they could make a lot of money! Apple it would seem has realised the same thing. I'm sure Microsoft are doing the same. This is the problem with big companies, once they get a certain level of shareholders behind them they're no longer the underdog and become "evil".
Ultimaty I'm not too concerned, it's better to have many companies doing this than a single company (Google) acting as a monopoly.
@martinbeed
I'd rather have one throat to choke. You get a bunch of companies doing it then they start lobbying government saying "everybody does this." Apple's already taken this approach with smartphone antennae.
@martinbeed
You're right, it is about data, OUR personal data. Google (and Yahoo) started with a seach engine. They sold ad space to advertisers. They tweaked their product so that it could show you ads based on your searches. That's how they made money. Both of them, although Yahoo to a lesser extent, have branched out into providing other "free" services, email, software, etc, all designed to show you ads while using them, and to collect personal data to sell to advertisers. Advertisers LOVE that kind of data, and they'll pay dearly for it. It seems that along with needing the data for "Location Based Services", Apple may have discovered what Google and Yahoo already knew.
Twitter knows it, too. I couldn't figure out how Twitter could offer a free service without ads until I heard they were in talks with search engines to allow them to index Tweets, and charge them for that privelage.
http://industry.bnet.com/media/10004851/signs-of-twitters-business-model-emerge-via-bing-google-deals/
Testies testies 1 testies 1....2
lol and we are gonna believe apple after that crap they just pulled out their ass
NOT A CHANCE IN HELL
i still remember why my friend sold his ipod touch for a 120 zune.......mainly cause of this topic
Gotta love lawyers. 13 pages for something that probably could have been said in 2
@Firewave
Two words you mean?
Government: Apple, why are you collecting this data and what are you doing with it??
Steve Jobs: Fuck off.
@tikigawd :)
It's probably a small data file, but does AT&T recognize this as our usage or do they recognize this and account for it?
Small data file I'm guessing, however does AT&T recognize this as our usage or do they account for this in our data?
I suppose it's a good thing my iPhone predates the inclusion of GPS. But really, with the sheer volume of data being sucked in, churned and spewed out as location aware ads I'm pretty sure the anonymous nature of the system will keep your trips to the local adult shop no less secure than the traffic cam and parking lot video cameras already make it. So it may smack of Big Brother but he's too busy filing GPS coordinates to care about your small life. Or mine.
@1016JP1
Urine idiot.
This news coupled with last week's photos of their antenna testing facility and we can only hope Dr. X is at the helm and not Magneto
It a shame that congress didn't show more of an interest in microsoft before they were convicted of anti-trust. The interest in Apple reeks of pop politics.
I wonder if the collected data and the iAds that Apple sends to an AT&T customer (iPhone} is paid for by Apple or does the data become part of the customer data limit? I would be a bit upset to find out I was paying every month to get spied on and receive unwanted ads.
@Crusader Rabbit
Hmm, thats an interesting observation.
U should call them up or ask on the forums and see what they say!
Let me know if u find anything out
Trust Apple ???
I wouldn`t trust him if he were hooked up to a polygraph !
@bufbarnaby
You shouldn't, especially if the one they are connected to is black, shiny, and has an apple logo on it.
Buried in that 13 pages is probably the auto-opt-in for Apple to brainwash you ?
@ankita
WTF...
Is this... spam?
Never thought id see the day..
If I pay for the data plan then Apple should refund a part of that cost as they are using 'my' data to send their information
@Excalibur well, switch it off, it's in "settings" and voilà!
you should know that as an ios4 owner!
oh wait a minute...
... and then they revealed they had completed the transformation into Brother Apple by replying in doublespeak.
Maybe it's because Apple makes money by selling us products and services, while Google makes money by selling our information to corporations.
"None of these are personally identifying..."
That's disingenuous at best.
For most people they are spending the majority of their time in two places (work/school and home), and they are typically spending at least 8 hours a day at both.
Generating a new device ID only once a day means it's easy to track the device from ID to ID because the location data isn't typically going to change that much each day.
Further Apple and Google both require addresses to use their App Store/Market (at least if you buy apps) so it's an easy task to find the devices that spend 8-hours a day there.
Also, just like with the Netflix contest data, this can be combined with data the users willingly give out elsewhere (Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare) to identify the owner.
I'm not saying Apple is in the wrong here, as I'm sure Google and others are claiming similar policies. I just disagree that the data cannot be personally identifying.
Just to clarify, it's certainly not Apple or Google's fault if the user can be identified by combining the location data with data from elsewhere on the Internet.
My point was just that the end-user needs to be responsible and educated in how easy data-mining can be, and the implications this has on their privacy/security. The companies collecting this data should be helping the user to understand this in ways that don't require a law degree.
Hummm
Are Apple going to be reimbursing me the data charges for my iFone transmitting MY location data that I'll be subjected to now that the mob companies are abolishing the unlimited data plans (or is this just a UK thing?)?
i wonder if they can use this to trace and brick jail broken handsets
Let me guess, Jobs' response was "we did some tests, and blackberry steals your personal info, Droid steals your personal info, samsung steals your personal info, Nokia steals your personal info...every smartphone has this problem."