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Apple Wants To Share Your Location With Others

Farhood sends in this snip from the LA Times: "In an updated version of its privacy policy, the company added a paragraph noting that once users agree, Apple and unspecified 'partners and licensees' may collect and store user location data. When users attempt to download apps or media from the iTunes store, they are prompted to agree to the new terms and conditions. Until they agree, they cannot download anything through the store. The company says the data is anonymous and does not personally identify users. Analysts have shown, however, that large, specific data sets can be used to identify people based on behavior patterns." Mashable and The Consumerist have picked up on this collection and sharing of "precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device."

9 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. Beh by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Insightful

    s/share/sell/

    s/with/to/

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  2. Isn't this exactly what we lambaste Google for? by mjwx · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Isn't this exactly what we lambaste Google for?

    In an updated version of its privacy policy, the company added a paragraph noting that once users agree, Apple and unspecified 'partners and licensees' may collect and store user location data.

    Well not quite, Google does not explicitly state they are planning on selling your data.

    When users attempt to download apps or media from the iTunes store, they are prompted to agree to the new terms and conditions. Until they agree, they cannot download anything through the store.

    Does anyone still wonder why it is bad to be beholden to a single supply chain?

    So Apple does not want you to have freedom or respects your privacy.

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    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    1. Re:Isn't this exactly what we lambaste Google for? by dmbasso · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Naive. :)

      A very good friend once told me: "If you put your balls in their hands, don't complain if they decide to squeeze them". That was almost ten years ago, and he was referring to Microsoft, but see how it fits perfectly with a lot of companies, including Apple.

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  3. Re:At least they tell you.. by MrHanky · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's different from Google like this: Quoting Cory Doctorow: "This is different from Android, in that Google does not gather your information unless you opt in, and if you do opt in, you can opt out later.

    "By contrast, Apple gathers your information without asking you to opt in, and does not present you with the option of opting out.

    "What's more, Apple is presenting these new terms retrospectively. People who bought iPads and iPods on the understanding that they could be used without having their location information gathered and shared now find that they *must* allow this information to be gathered and shared (I suppose you could try not updating iTunes, but then you would also have to not upgrade your OS -- OS upgrades come with iTunes upgrades -- and be prepared to be locked out of the app store, and since Apple's use of DRM prevents third parties from putting apps on your devices, you're fundamentally abandoning any hope of loading any code, even third-party code, onto your iPad and iPod)."

    Of course, he may or may not be correct.

  4. Re:Not an Apple issue by SupremoMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes but if a cell phone carrier tried to do this, they would lose plenty of consumers to the competing carriers.

  5. Re:At least they tell you.. by mrsurb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Read the parent that you're responding to! His point is that Apple is applying these terms to people AFTER they have bought the phone. It's an automatic opt-in unless you want to go to a lot of effort to sit outside Apple's walled garden, at which point you lose a big proportion of the value of the phone that you have already paid for.

    For new customers, sure it's opt-in/opt-out, buy Apple or not. But if you do, don't be surprised at the next swift one that Apple pulls.

  6. Re:At least they tell you.. by silanea · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Which part of "retroactive" needs to be explained to you? They change the license not just for new customers but also for existing users, effectively rendering their devices useless as far as many advertised features are concerned unless they agree to the new terms.

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  7. Re:Not an Apple issue by Yvanhoe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How do you know they are not already doing this ?

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  8. Free Market BS by Comboman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I understand being upset but I was responding to opt-in and opt-out, and it's pretty simple - your dollars are your vote for you and how serious you are. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of people up in arms saying we need laws to prevent this. I call BS on that.

    And I call BS on your free market democracy ("your dollars are your vote"). You're right about one thing though; we don't need new laws to prevent this. We need the old laws that allow companies to lock down devices that their customers own (DMCA, etc) removed so that we have a real Free market.

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