The iPhone Conspiracy
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) wants answers. After reports Wednesday that Apple's iPhones and iPads secretly store information of the user's location, Franken wrote Apple CEO Steve Jobs a strongly worded letter.
"The existence of this information -- stored in an unencrypted format -- raises serious privacy concerns," Franken wrote.
According to O'Reilly Radar, who broke the story, the Apple products log "latitude-longitude coordinates along with a timestamp." The fact that the data is unencrypted and unprotected, they report, means it could be easily accessed if it lands in the wrong hands. The devices store about a year's worth of data, the researchers found. Their full report can be found here.
"It is also entirely conceivable that malicious persons may create viruses to access this data from customers' iPhones, iPads, and desktop and laptop computers. There are numerous ways in which this information could be abused by criminals and bad actors," Franken wrote.
Franken expressed special concern for iPhone and iPad users who are minors, writing that an "estimated 13% of the 108 million iPhones and 19 Million iPad devices sold are used by individuals under the age of 18."
Then there is this:
The Michigan State Police have a handful of portable machines called "extraction devices" that have the potential to download personal information from motorists they pull over, and the ACLU would like to know more about them.
The devices, sold by a company called Cellebrite, can download text messages, photos, video, and even GPS data from most brands of cell phones. The handheld machines have various interfaces to work with different models and can even bypass security passwords and access some information.
posted by spooked at 2:19 PM
2 Comments:
With all due regard for iPxx devices' GPS coordinate storage, this is generally true of many GPS devices, including mobile built-ins like the GM "OnStar" systems and pretty much every vehicle-borne navigation systems - hell, the Brits have gone so far as to make your car rat you out for tax purposes - you get charged automagically for even driving in certain parts of London at particular times of day. I've no doubt that it won't be long before your car will transmit the appropriate data as you drive and the State will be able to deduct "money" from your bank account when you speed, turn illegally, or commit various other driving affronts to the Peace and Dignity of the State. Won't it be great to stop for gas and discover your debit account is empty... or continue to speed and have your car simply quit running when your credit's all gone?
It can't truly work, I believe like this.
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