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Apple Wants To Share Your Location With Others

Posted by kdawson on from the leaving-more-than-virtual-tracks dept.

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."

6 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. At least they tell you.. by onion2k · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What the update means is that they've relaxed the application vetting so apps that use the geolocation API aren't scrutinised as much as they used to be. Apple are telling users that apps can, and will, collect and store your location data, and that they're not going to stop them even if there's no reason for the app to be doing it. The app will still ask you if you want to share your location as it always has done.

    Who tells you that might be happening if you have an Android phone? Or if you install a browser that enables the geolocation services of HTML 5 on your PC (eg http://html5demos.com/geo )? No one. They don't have to. They can't really, because there isn't a "gatekeeper" controlling it all.

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    1. Re:At least they tell you.. by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Apple is doing a Sony, kowtow to new "options".

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      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    2. Re:At least they tell you.. by Xest · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The link in question works using a browser feature that uploads information about you such as your IP, access points near you, and that sort of thing. This is why Google was farming access point data when they did street view.

      So in the case of even these most intrusive things, the GP I was responding to is wrong regarding warnings, because your browser warns you. My comments were really targetted towards general IP geolocation that doesn't depend on browser uploads.

      Personally I'd just keep browser based geolocation disabled, and it is by default in Firefox and I believe other browsers just like things such as password storage are.

    3. Re:At least they tell you.. by Lupu · · Score: 2, Interesting

      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).

      Sounds like a class action lawsuit waiting to happen.

  2. Redownload by mwvdlee · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can you still re-download apps you purchased under an old agreement without signing the new agreement?

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  3. Anybody care to comment on... by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Firstly, will this bring about any (if present) early termination clause in contracts as a "significant change in terms?"

    Secondly, as this is Hobson's Choice (Accept or lose access to the App Store) will it fall foul of unfair terms in consumer contract legislation?

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