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Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:18 PM EDT
petewarden.github.com
Can your iPhone track your every move? A new report released yesterday suggests Apple’s basically stalking you more than that creepy ex.
Democratic lawmakers are now demanding answers from Steve Jobs. Senator Al Franken and Congressman Ed Markey both sent WTF letters to the Apple CEO, demanding answers on this data, why it’s stored and whether Apple failed to protect its customers' privacy.
"The existence of this information — stored in an unencrypted format — raises serious privacy concerns," Franken wrote.
Researchers discovered iPhones and iPads with iOS 4 operating systems track and secretly store users' locations via latitude and longitude. Apple reportedly collects that data information hundreds of times a day, then tucks it away in an accessible format without the user's knowledge.
"Anyone who gains access to this single file could likely determine the location of a user's home, the businesses he frequents, the doctors he visits, the schools his children attend, and the trips he has taken-over the past months or even a year,” wrote Franken. "The millions of children and teenagers who use iPhone or iPad devices also risk having their location collected and compromised."
Markey questions, “if location information is used for a commericial purpose” and whether it complies with Section 222 of the Communications Act, which requires consent for this type of thing.
Still no response from Jobs. He could at least send a text.
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