So its no secret that Apple and Google collect location data from iPhones and Androids, but could this data get them into trouble with the government? Right now, location tracking through smartphones is a grey area; not yet wrong, but not entirely right. And the potential for issues like identity theft and targeted advertising have been on the debate table for some time, causing quite a stir for everyone.
One of the first to express concern was Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who sent a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs demanding the company explain why it’s collecting the tracking data. In response, Apple says that GPS and tower data collected by the device and transmitted to Apple is assigned a random identification number and cannot be associated with a particular customer or device. Furthermore, ipad 2 jailbreak unlock iPhone customers have the option of disabling location-based service capabilities in the “General” menu under “Settings.” If this option is disabled, no location information will be collected and sent to Apple.
Another issue of government interest lies in police forces who now have access to forensic access to cellphone data. A device called CelleBrite UFED can completely extract existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images and tracking data from any smartphone. This can be entirely unlawful without a search warrant and is becoming more and more of a prominent issue.
One of the first to express concern was Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who sent a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs demanding the company explain why it’s collecting the tracking data. In response, Apple says that GPS and tower data collected by the device and transmitted to Apple is assigned a random identification number and cannot be associated with a particular customer or device. Furthermore, ipad 2 jailbreak unlock iPhone customers have the option of disabling location-based service capabilities in the “General” menu under “Settings.” If this option is disabled, no location information will be collected and sent to Apple.
Another issue of government interest lies in police forces who now have access to forensic access to cellphone data. A device called CelleBrite UFED can completely extract existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images and tracking data from any smartphone. This can be entirely unlawful without a search warrant and is becoming more and more of a prominent issue.