Apple today has released the following “Q&A on Location Data.” Here it is, verbatim:
Apple would like to respond to the questions we have recently received about the gathering and use of location information by our devices.
1. Why is Apple tracking the location of my iPhone?
Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so.
2. Then why is everyone so concerned about this?
Providing mobile users with fast and accurate location information while preserving their security and privacy has raised some very complex technical issues which are hard to communicate in a soundbite. Users are confused, partly because the creators of this new technology (including Apple) have not provided enough education about these issues to date.
3. Why is my iPhone logging my location?
The iPhone is not logging your location. Rather, it’s maintaining a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers around your current location, some of which may be located more than one hundred miles away from your iPhone, to help your iPhone rapidly and accurately calculate its location when requested. Calculating a phone’s location using just GPS satellite data can take up to several minutes. iPhone can reduce this time to just a few seconds by using Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data to quickly find GPS satellites, and even triangulate its location using just Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data when GPS is not available (such as indoors or in basements). These calculations are performed live on the iPhone using a crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data that is generated by tens of millions of iPhones sending the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers in an anonymous and encrypted form to Apple.
4. Is this crowd-sourced database stored on the iPhone?
The entire crowd-sourced database is too big to store on an iPhone, so we download an appropriate subset (cache) onto each iPhone. This cache is protected but not encrypted, and is backed up in iTunes whenever you back up your iPhone. The backup is encrypted or not, depending on the user settings in iTunes. The location data that researchers are seeing on the iPhone is not the past or present location of the iPhone, but rather the locations of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers surrounding the iPhone’s location, which can be more than one hundred miles away from the iPhone. We plan to cease backing up this cache in a software update coming soon (see Software Update section below).
5. Can Apple locate me based on my geo-tagged Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data?
No. This data is sent to Apple in an anonymous and encrypted form. Apple cannot identify the source of this data.
6. People have identified up to a year’s worth of location data being stored on the iPhone. Why does my iPhone need so much data in order to assist it in finding my location today?
This data is not the iPhone’s location data—it is a subset (cache) of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database which is downloaded from Apple into the iPhone to assist the iPhone in rapidly and accurately calculating location. The reason the iPhone stores so much data is a bug we uncovered and plan to fix shortly (see Software Update section below). We don’t think the iPhone needs to store more than seven days of this data.
7. When I turn off Location Services, why does my iPhone sometimes continue updating its Wi-Fi and cell tower data from Apple’s crowd-sourced database?
It shouldn’t. This is a bug, which we plan to fix shortly (see Software Update section below).
8. What other location data is Apple collecting from the iPhone besides crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data?
Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years.
9. Does Apple currently provide any data collected from iPhones to third parties?
We provide anonymous crash logs from users that have opted in to third-party developers to help them debug their apps. Our iAds advertising system can use location as a factor in targeting ads. Location is not shared with any third party or ad unless the user explicitly approves giving the current location to the current ad (for example, to request the ad locate the Target store nearest them).
10. Does Apple believe that personal information security and privacy are important?
Yes, we strongly do. For example, iPhone was the first to ask users to give their permission for each and every app that wanted to use location. Apple will continue to be one of the leaders in strengthening personal information security and privacy.
Software Update
Sometime in the next few weeks Apple will release a free iOS software update that:
• reduces the size of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database cached on the iPhone,
• ceases backing up this cache, and
• deletes this cache entirely when Location Services is turned off.
In the next major iOS software release the cache will also be encrypted on the iPhone.
Source: Apple Inc.
Related articles:
U.S. Senate Democrat Franken to hold mobile privacy hearing; Apple, Google summoned – April 26, 2011
Illinois Attorney General Madigan requests meeting with Apple, Google – April 25, 2011
Apple sued for privacy invasion, computer fraud over iOS location data collection, storage – April 25, 2011
Steve Jobs on iOS location tracking: We don’t track anyone, but Droid does – April 25, 2011
Apple iPhone collects location info even when location services are turned off by user – April 25, 2011
Android phones regularly transmit location data to Google ‘at least several times an hour’ – April 22, 2011
House Democrat questions legality of Apple’s iPhone, iPad location tracking – April 21, 2011
Apple’s iOS location tracking file caused by a bit of unfinished code? – April 21, 2011
U.S. Senator Al Franken demands answers from Apple’s Steve Jobs over iPhone tracking – April 21, 2011
Expert: iPhone tracking story is nothing new and Apple is not collecting the data – April 21, 2011
‘untrackerd’ jailbreak utility blocks iOS from storing recorded iPhone location data – April 21, 2011
Apple’s iPhone tracks everywhere you go; stores the info in secret file on the device – April 20, 2011
ITS SO FUNNY HOW PEOPLE
Its so funny that people think its just Apple doing this Google, Microsoft do this lol
Also here in europe the telecoms networks Vodafone, 02, etc keep a record or every call you make which includes duration, who the call was too, the location of the handset when the call was made for 5 years!!!!!
@ hss1, breeze, etc: get over yourselves.
Apple admitted errors and is implementing fixes. Franken and other authorities are giving all firms a chance to explain themselves and air out the issue. This is all good for you and me, and it shows why Apple is an admired company: when a problem is uncovered, they actually fix it. Wish they would have been more clear and forthcoming about this in 2007. Thanks to the (late) media investigations, everyone will finally understand the issues in play here. Maybe a senator will even dial back some of the dragonian “Patriot”-style FCC regulations that are not necessary in an open free society. …that is, if Americans are willing to forego the illusion of freedom that comes with such security measures.
What should be noted is that Apple is able to identify the problem and send out a software update that will fix these issues as quickly as it can. If this was WP7 the carriers would allow the update through sometime around iPhone 11.
RTFM idiot
Why does it not surprise me that nothing intelectual comes from this one. His/her screen name must be indicative of what happens between his/her ears. So sad…
Oh yeah!
We [many people] don’t know who is watching us.
To all the ignoramuses that were quick to spout:
– EGG ON YOUR FACE.
Interesting coincidence that Trump and the other birthers also have a lot of facial egg this morning. Will they feel ashamed? Of course not.
Duck head Trump is now embarking on a new smear campaign
So the birther issuer was settled today. Obama was born in the country of Hawaii.
Ditto. This Q&A response from Apple is exactly what most of us expected. But you won’t get a mea culpa from the rest.
Senator Franken, do you hear me now?
Google may be the real target of the Senator’s query. Including Apple is being even-handed. The two companies’ respective behavior on this issue are likely quite different.
Let’s hope he does, and better yet, hope he gives Apple the opportunity to explain all of this in complete, concise, succinct and flawlessly honest testimony at a Congressional hearing. When Apple states its case and provides unflinching answers, even the boneheaded TV media types might get it straight. All that will only polish Apple’s star. As for Google…well, we’ll see…
Because Apple is good enough, it’s smart enough, and doggone it people like Apple!
… Mike said above. Senator Franken saw this as a problem, he “asked” some executives to come to DC to explain the situation, and Apple (at least) has already promised a fix. Will Google? Sooner than MSFT, perhaps.
The Senator was attempting to protect YOUR privacy, SH1, you should be thanking him for that. Unless, of course, privacy isn’t your concern?
Apple has provided a very honest, legible explanation to this issue, and has acknowledged the bugs with a promise to a speedy remedy; I am satisfied. Good job, Apple.
So there. Good and thorough response from Apple.
I have so much more respect fir Apple now. And that’s hard since I love them so much already.
This shows just the insane amount of thought and engineering that’s gone into iOS and the technology systems surrounding it.
Look at #8. it’s either an amazing future, or a red Herring dropped for Google to follow into a dead end.
That traffic service referenced in #8 really interests me..
I wonder if the SIRI acquisition and the new data center could be part of this traffic service.
I think it’s more like a harsh reality coming for Google. Apple is shedding their reliance on Google Maps.
A clear, concise answer to the question, WTF is happening with this location data. In a word, nothing.
As usual, all the hysteria is for nothing. The lawsuits will go away. Apple is not evil.
Can’t say the same for Google. Will Google tell the truth about their location data gathering? Don’t hold your breath waiting for an answer.
Now at bat: Google.
Yes indeed. Let’s see what Google has to say about their blatant tracking of everyone all over the Internet at all possible times on all possible devices, especially Android OS devices. This is gonna be a SHOW DOWN!
The law is gunnin’ for Google! And it ain’t gonna be pretty. No sir!
I love how Apple respond to these hysterical reports, concisely and honestly.
Wonder if this will be reported with as much vigour?
f any of you are concerned about being tracked – why on earth would you buy any product that has a GPS in it (all computers cash info) and why on earth would you buy a cell phone – the towers know almost exactly when (which apple doesn’t know) and where you are? The reaction to this news is stupid.
Let’s hear creepy Google’s response, especially the unique id and 3rd party portions.
Being a company that generates their income entirely off of ads, I am very interested to hear Google detail upon these points you mention. I wonder how long it will take to get this information from Google, and if Google tries to lie, lol!
Probably something like, if you don’t like being tracked, you can always change to a different smartphone later.
no, they’ll just say “it’s open!”
#3 reminded me about articles about SKYHOOK being used for location services. This was announced at MacWorld 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd0p0yfqakE#t=00m53s
It’s hard to claim Apple snuck something in, when they announced it for the whole world to hear. Also, USA Today carried the story: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-01-22-skyhook_N.htm
I heard that ConspiracyRUs.com has foil hats on sale!
Yep, “it’s just a bug”, so why did they patent it?
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220110051665%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20110051665&RS=DN/20110051665
They got caught and this is damage control.
Hey cognativedisonance. I see that you are “Robert” today. There are two bugs. 1) The file isn’t deleted when you turn off location services, and 2) the file gets backed up through iTunes. The patent you are referring to is the actual process which Apple is not going to stop using unless you want really slow cell tower identification. What size is your foil hat?
Jason,
Excellent feedback!
The best AFDBs (Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanies) can be found here… ;^)
http://zapatopi.net/afdb/
Apple will still be using this information, Robert. The difference will be that the information backlog won’t be more than 7 days now, it’s encrypted and it can be deactivated when Location Services is turned off. All the information is in the article.
“Sometime in the next few weeks Apple will release a free iOS software update that:
• reduces the size of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database cached on the iPhone,
• ceases backing up this cache, and
• deletes this cache entirely when Location Services is turned off.
In the next major iOS software release the cache will also be encrypted on the iPhone.”
Take THAT, Al Friggin’
Jason,
I get my Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanies (AFDB) from here! ;^)
http://zapatopi.net/afdb/
Be careful when you got outside on a sunny day. You wouldn’t want to blind the pilot of a government spy helicopter.!!
It so obvious that the media hates Apple. After reading this explanation, CNN apparently came away with “Apple blames iPhone tracking file on ‘bug'”. You know they just loved putting “bug” and “Apple” on the same line.
While it is now confirmed that apple does not geo track it’s users and sell that information to whomever will pay them for it, it is almost as certain that……
DROID DOES!
(ironic, how those witty little ad-speak catch phrases come back to bite you)
Now everyone can shutup about this and we can start getting real news, like iOS 5.0 announced in a month and lion launching.
O’Reilly has really fallen off the map as far as respectability IMO. Tell Gizmodo that satan says “hi” the next time you pass them at the brothel.
http://themacadvocate.com/2011/04/27/apple-explains-geotracking-to-researchers/
Here’s a completely different take on Apple’s announcement: http://www.minyanville.com/dailyfeed/2011/04/27/apple-remains-boldly-arrogant-in/?camp=syndication&medium=portals&from=yahoo
Be warned, this is an intensely pro-Android, Apple-hating “investment” site.
m159.. you should have attached a “THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK!” to your post. I shouldn’t have given him that click that he wanted but he got it… hehe.
And you can’t reply to his “article” without signing in to his sight. lol no way!
LOL…like this is not a pro-Apple, bash everything else “investment” site.
The FACT is, without the press on this issue, the “bug” would have continued to exist on the iPhone and the stored data on the owners computer. So far, I have not heard anything from Apple except the acknowledgement that the press was correct and Apple is addressing the issue in a future update. Nice job, Apple. That is appreciated. Now the other companies need to address it.
Did you *read* the statement?
The location data that researchers are seeing on the iPhone is not the past or present location of the iPhone, but rather the locations of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers surrounding the iPhone’s location.
So the press wasn’t correct at all. Unfortunately you’re not the only person who apparently can’t read…
See, once again Apple steps up to the plate. That will never happen with Microslut or Gaggle(of losers)
Direct link at Apple site, in case you’re wondering….
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/04/27location_qa.html
Great response Apple, never doubted you for a second.
Too bad the media will spin this yet again. Haters and whiners gonna keep on hatin and whining.
p.s. I can’t wait to see Google get busted when they are summoned alongside Apple to Capitol Hill next month. Apple will be sitting pretty and all of the negative attention will then be sitting squarely on Google’s shoulders. Priceless.
First, you assume that people give a crap about what Android does with data. Google has been the darlings of the media for all of their “free” offerings while the only way to get attention by having “Apple” in your headline is if you’re bashing the company.
Second, extracting a straight answer from Google would require the person doing the asking knows what they’re talking about. These are politicians. ‘Nuff said.
Shoot, It’s not rocket science or string theory. lol!
From what I’ve heard from the politicians and what they want to have addressed by Google and Apple, they have the issue understood well enough, and answers SHOULD be forthcoming. It looks like Apple’s stance is already out in the open. Now it’s Google’s turn.
If Android consumers are AWARE of what Google does with their data, I’m sure they’d be concerned. The fandroids you see on the net represent a low percentage of actual Android customers. Most people don’t really care about these tech news sites and the information contained herein. They usually are too busy having a life (lol!)
I think the real question that needs to be answered is why does it seem everyone that does press releases for Apple regarding iPhone data collection have the first name of Natalie? Think I am fooling, see the bottom of the press release. Is there a conspiracy at Apple against woman named Jennifer or Beth or CHRISSY? This needs to be investigated by the highest level of federal authorities.
LOL! It could be a desk name. People change, but the names don’t. It’s pretty common actually.