It has been confirmed that iPhones and iPads are regularly mapping their users’ every move into unencrypted files. This means that anyone with access to these files can know everywhere the user has been within the last year of using their iPhone or 3G iPad. It is unsure of exactly who can access this data but it is possible to view it yourself by downloading an app. This may mean that if your device got into the wrong hands, all of this information would be accessible to whoever wants to know where you have been going. The availability of such specific information “[opens] the door for a jealous spouse, thief, or even a crafty trojan to take a detailed look at your whereabouts,” writes Ars Technica. “And it’s information that no one should have access to — not even law enforcement, barring a court order.” The iPhone has hundreds of features, but personal tracking should not be one of them.
It’s no surprise that smart phones record their user’s location at times, especially when users approve apps that request to use their current location. Apple is under a lot of suspicion as to why they need to keep this information for a year. Maybe Apple should just leave tracking to the private investigators.
