Security researchers have discovered that Apple’s iPhone keeps track of where you go – and saves every detail of it to a secret file on the device which is then copied to the owner’s computer when the two are synchronised.

Eeeek!

Someone also told me that if you have the GPS on when you take pictures with it, it location stamps the pic. If you then upload this to the net people can view the pic details and get the GPS location of where it’s taken.

If this is true then might be a good idea not to use them to take pics of your flash new steed in your garage.

That is not good, Bimbler. I thought that it might only apply when Location Services is switched on; but it would appear that it uses mobile network masts to triangulate the phone’s position. Interesting to see what Apple’s response will be.

Blimey! Looking forward to Saint Jobs explanation of this one. 😯

Someone also told me that if you have the GPS on when you take pictures with it, it location stamps the pic.

Yep, that’s expected behaviour: it’s called geo-tagging.
If you don’t like it then Settings->Location Services->Camera = Off, or just use one of the camera apps that lets you choose to geo-tag on a pic by pic basis.

Couldn’t see any comments from apple on there?

Nice! I’ll have to checkout where I’ve been!

Geotagging, that’s one of the beauties of the iPhone camera.

The network also logs your movement based on nearest cell site and possible even triangulation now…

A mobile phone is as good as a tracking device…

Ben

Geotagging, that’s one of the beauties of the iPhone a smartphone camera.

FFT

The network also logs your movement based on nearest cell site and possible even triangulation now…

Yep, for all mobiles, but that is some what different to this, as in theory access to that data is restricted to security services etc whereas this is stored on your iPhone and iTunes and from the article it doesn’t even appear to be encrypted. 😯

Those clever chaps at MIT have a fix for this.

http://berkeley.intel-research.net/arahimi/helmet/

The network also logs your movement based on nearest cell site and possible even triangulation now…

Of course network operators know which is your nearest site, they need to do that to make the phone work. This is usually logged, mainly ‘for billing’. However, a cell can cover a pretty large area.

It is not routine for network operators to estimate subscriber locations. This is usually done on demand for specific subscribers.

Those clever chaps at MIT have a fix for this.

You see no issues with this?

You see no issues with this?

It doesn’t appear that they’re doing anything with the data once it’s on your computer so not really.

BTW, this has apparently been common knowledge in computer forensics for a while now – see Localisation iPhone : votre téléphone est indiscret (Sept 2010)

You see no issues with this?

None at all. WGAF? So what if someone knows where I’ve been? Loads of people do, I tell them quite often. I don’t ever go anywhere I wouldnt want people to know about.

Of course network operators know which is your nearest site, they need to do that to make the phone work. This is usually logged, mainly ‘for billing’. However, a cell can cover a pretty large area.

It is not routine for network operators to estimate subscriber locations. This is usually done on demand for specific subscribers.
I talked about this with a student about ten years ago. The reply was that the phone was located by two towers, not three. The operator would send a signal every hour, remember the interference on the TV each hour? If anyone, the police, wanted to get a more accurate fix on location they needed approval from the court.
Same with recording calls, ALL calls can be/are recorded, but need aprroval from the courts before they can be listened to.

WGAF really?

Mine would make for very dull reading, my desk, my college, my house. People call me all the time “Where are you” they say…

If anyone, the police, wanted to get a more accurate fix on location they needed approval from the court.

Or five minutes alone with your phone:
How I stalked my girlfriend (Guardian 2006)

Tracked mine for the past few weeks they’ll think I’m dead.

And as to the whole “if someone stole your pc they would know your pattern”, well they could just click google calendar on my browser and they wouldn’t even need to guess where I was!

WGAF really?

I do. I want Privacy to be the default, not something I have to actively select.

When you sync an iphone it creates a back up file. A program called “itwin” can be used to decipher theses files. Strangley only available on pc, retreives texts, call details, notes, calandrs and phone book. Never seen anything looking like a gps location.

I do. I want Privacy to be the default, not something I have to actively select.

Isn’t it stored on YOUR phone and YOUR computer…fail to see how that breaks privacy?

I do. I want Privacy to be the default, not something I have to actively select.

I assume you only pay by cash have no loyalty cards, where a burka in case you are recorded on CCTV, etc

We don’t live in a free society there is always someone tracking our actions and movements.

Isn’t it stored on YOUR phone and YOUR computer…fail to see how that breaks privacy?

Paul Gadd would disagree with you on that one.

I don’t have an iphone and don’t think this would stop me getting one (the small screen does that)

… but if they offered it as an option I’d decline, definitely – probably even if they offered me a tenner off the purchase if I took it

I do. I want Privacy to be the default, not something I have to actively select.

+1.

If you want to look at your data, you can download the iPhone trackere here. I don’t think its a simple case of just running the app, I’ll give it a go tonight.

People used to laugh when I refused to have my picture taken because it would take a bit of my soul and pass it on to strangers.
Now who’s laughing.

I’m amazed few on here seem to be particularly bothered by such a massive invasion of privacy. There are umpteen horrible applications of this kind of data – stalking, your boss working out if you’re skiving off at work, blackmail, any variety of attack against your person, your partner checking up on you, being nicked retrospectively for speeding, if you’ve been to any particularly fruity nightclubs…

Even in the “I never do anything wrong” camp, there’s plenty that can be done to turn innocent location data into dirt. Bump into a mate when you’re out and about, but happen to be outside a school – that’ll be “loitered outside schools” if someone wants to word it that way. And they’ll have proof.

Oh. It is as easy as “running the app”. The guy who released the code as Open Source did it so it will be patched, hopefully.

I’m certainly not worried or surprised about the whole thing, as said above, it will be interesting to hear what Apple have to say, despite the terms and conditions saying about collecting location services data.

Hey, so what? Here’s mine, anyway.

Just trying to remember what on Earth I was doing in Manchester…

Rachel
.

I tried it, it’s a load of bollocks. It had me in Liverpool!!! I’ve never been to Liverpool in my life.

but has your iPhone??? 😉

🙂

If you wrote an app that ran in the background and sent the locations via an encrypted stream to a machine that you have access to, could this not be a good way to track down your phone if it was nicked?

yes – it’s called Find my iPhone and it’s a free service Apple offer to all iPhone 4 users.

EDIT – You can do other things like remotely wipe it or make it start making a noise to make it easier to find, too.

Rachel

I thought you only got find my phone if you signed up to Mobile Me?

Well there’s an app idea that I can’t make and try to sell then!