Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Is Apple Tracking iPhone Users Through IMEI?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the putting-on-the-foil-hats dept.

ariefwn writes ""As I sit here applying a new layer of Reynolds tin foil to my international hat of conspiracy, its been proven that Apple tracks iPhone usage and tracks IMEI numbers of all their iPhones worldwide. Hidden in the code of the 'Stocks' and 'Weather' widgets is a string that sends the IMEI of your phone to a specialized URL that Apple collects. I wonder if there will be any implications to owners of hacked iPhones..."

2 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Get your facts straight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Yes. The main difference between them being that "aluminum" is actually "aluminium".

  2. Re:Tracking what? by Achromatic1978 · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    You SHOULD be modded down, because you have very little ideal of what it is you're talking about:

    That whole registration passes your IMEI back to Apple and AT&T, so you can (amongst other things) have your handset disabled if stolen/lost.

    It proves its an iPhone to the webservice.

    Bzzt. Another wrong answer. IMEI is a unique mobile equipment identifier. Now, while these numbers are handed out in blocks to manufacturers, much like MAC addresses, the database is certainly not something easily (or perhaps even at all) accessible to the public. If you think Apple, or any other site is identifying your iPhone via IMEI, not UserAgent, you're utterly, laughably wrong.

    So you should get modded down, for sheer Apple-defending smug self righteousness.