Apple's iSpy

[BobH]

This post is not intended to evoke political discussion (nor religious nor discussion in any of the other proscribed areas). The topic is, however, a serious philosophical issue, IMO, and might even be a serious legal issue if challenged in the courts. (For example, in the video in the URL, they mention that the data is recorded by communications providers but can be accessed and retrieved only by court order or warrant, whereas the data is recorded 'in the clear' by the Apple OS.) Combining knowledge about what the Apple OS is doing (without my consent) with information learned about the ACLU suing the Michigan state police over their use of cell phone data mining equipment, I become very concerned that ordinary people are losing rights without their knowledge and without their consent.

The facts elicited in the link below - especially the video discussion (a bit slow but worth your while to watch) - disturb me. Apple have apparently included code in IOS4 (for iphones, ipods, and ipads) that records all of your movements with any of these products. Although I didn't learn whether this can be circumvented by turning the device off, I inferred from the discussion that movement of the device is tracked as long as it is powered on, regardless of whether or not the user is actively using an app. There is some discussion in the video about the data gathering not being continuous and that it is perhaps triggered by some user action, but the specific circumstances were not yet known to those discussing it.

Does anyone share my concern? Perhaps I'm paranoid, but I'm more concerned about the assumption of the right to create the databases by a commercial entity than I am, for now, about the abuses of the information that might follow. As an old mainframe application and systems designer, I know all too well that because one can does NOT mean that one should do a thing. When it comes to data capture and use, there should be safeguards to ensure against its misuse. The crime of identity theft could not be perpetrated if the databases of credit bureaus and the financial entities that feed them didn't exist or were better protected in terms of the rights to access them.

Looking forward to reading your responses.



iSpy-phone