Researchers: iPhones, iPads tracking your every move
If you have an iPhone or 3G-enabled iPad with the latest operating system from Apple your device is recording everywhere it goes, two researchers announced on Tuesday.
Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan said they discovered an unencrypted file on the iOS 4 devices that stores a list of latitude-longitude coordinates and time stamps, and the file is copied to your computer whenever you sync your data.
"We're not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it's clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations," Allan wrote in an article published on oreilly.com.
Cellular carriers are able to track devices on their networks, but normally the tracking data is not available to anyone outside the carrier, and law enforcement agencies can usually access it only with the owner's permission or a court order.
The researchers said the tracking file stored by the iPhone and iPad is unencrypted, which means anyone with access to your phone or the computer you sync it with can read the device's tracking log.
The two made the announcement at the Where 2.0 conference in California on Wednesday. They also released a free Mac program that allows people to read the tracking files from their phones.
Allan said they have contacted Apple for more information about the tracking technology, but have not heard back.
Writing at GigaOm, Darrell Etherington says "users who want to protect themselves can encrypt their backups through iTunes, but that doesn't stop information on the device itself from being accessible."
In an interview with The Guardian, Warden said they could not find a similar tracking feature in Google's Android phones.
"We haven't come across any instances of other phone manufacturers doing this," he said.
The iPhone and iPad routinely use GPS information for maps applications and other on-demand features, but in a discussion video posted online the researchers questioned why so much other tracking data was being kept and recorded.
"If you lose your phone, then all your movements for the last year are on that phone and can be taken off," Allan said.
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Watch a video with Allan and Warden discussing the research:
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For more information:
Is Your iPhone or iPad taking a bite out of your privacy?
Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan said they discovered an unencrypted file on the iOS 4 devices that stores a list of latitude-longitude coordinates and time stamps, and the file is copied to your computer whenever you sync your data.
"We're not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it's clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations," Allan wrote in an article published on oreilly.com.
Cellular carriers are able to track devices on their networks, but normally the tracking data is not available to anyone outside the carrier, and law enforcement agencies can usually access it only with the owner's permission or a court order.
The researchers said the tracking file stored by the iPhone and iPad is unencrypted, which means anyone with access to your phone or the computer you sync it with can read the device's tracking log.
The two made the announcement at the Where 2.0 conference in California on Wednesday. They also released a free Mac program that allows people to read the tracking files from their phones.
Allan said they have contacted Apple for more information about the tracking technology, but have not heard back.
Writing at GigaOm, Darrell Etherington says "users who want to protect themselves can encrypt their backups through iTunes, but that doesn't stop information on the device itself from being accessible."
In an interview with The Guardian, Warden said they could not find a similar tracking feature in Google's Android phones.
"We haven't come across any instances of other phone manufacturers doing this," he said.
The iPhone and iPad routinely use GPS information for maps applications and other on-demand features, but in a discussion video posted online the researchers questioned why so much other tracking data was being kept and recorded.
"If you lose your phone, then all your movements for the last year are on that phone and can be taken off," Allan said.
---
Watch a video with Allan and Warden discussing the research:
---
For more information:
Is Your iPhone or iPad taking a bite out of your privacy?
