Apple: "We must Have Comprehensive Location Data"

An anonymous reader writes "Apple's iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4, and iPad models are keeping track of consumers whereabouts. Mac computers running Snow Leopard and even Windows computers running Safari 5 are being watched. But the question is why? 'To provide the high quality products and services that its customers demand, Apple must have access to the comprehensive location-based information,' Apple says."

Comments

Old news.

[romanval]

This article is referencing a reply Apple wrote on June 2010.

Re:So, who's the "customer"?

[perbert]

Your users or world governments?

Advertisers.

Re:That smells like

[Anonymous Coward]

Bullshit!

No it's not. That information is needed for the "Find-A-Homo" app. Th Republican's are really big on that app - don't know why. And the "Find-A- Public-Restroom" app.

I don't have time to find the sites. Today is worship the Chocolate Rabbit and Egg day.

Praise be the Easter Bunny - who the Jews killed and ate.

Re:So, who's the "customer"?

[Minupla]

I believe what the OP was referring to was:
http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2010/nr-c_101019_e.cfm

In this case it was Google street view cars driving by. obviously in this case the people's whose privacy was impacted had no opportunity to agree to a EULA

Now I will agree that the cases may be completely different, but I think thats what the OP was getting at.

Re:Hmmm

[index0]

"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the EULA'."

Re:So, who's the "customer"?

[dragonhunter21]

Google has their privacy statement mid-page on the front page of their site.

Apple has it buried inside their EULA.

Stickin' with Google for this one.

(also, that streetview thing was an accident- Google didn't use any of the information. Heck, Google was the one that brought that problem to light- if they hadn't, we probably wouldn't have a clue.)

Re:So, who's the "customer"?

[Minupla]

I'm not telling you anything, but the law tells companies: (http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/guide_e.cfm) which requires commercial entities to follow certain best practices in collecting information that may contain Personally Identifiable Information (including consent for the specific uses to which it is going to be put, retention, encryption, etc)

If you're doing business in Canada it is your responsibility to know this law and Google violated it. Its not about how easy it is to collect the information, it is about ensuring you have the legal authorization to do so. Just because you CAN do something does not make it legal to do so.

Min

Min