Steve Jobs addresses iPhone location tracking issue
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - 14:20:23
Apple was in hot water last week when it emerged that iPhones and other iOS gadgets are quietly accumulating information about the location of users in a file which is synchronised with computers via iTunes.
Now chief executive Steve Jobs has given his opinion on the matter in an email to a user of fan site, MacRumours.
Mr Jobs not only dismissed the idea that Apple is collecting this information to keep tabs on the movements of its users but also said that its main rival Google was guilty of doing precisely this with its Android operating system.
The biggest complaint about the alleged data harvesting of the iPhone is that third parties, such as jealous partners or investigative journalists, might be able to get hold of the file and then make a detailed map of the user's movements, giving them a heads up about their whereabouts at a given time and on a given date.
It is good to see Steve Jobs denying that Apple has any access to this data, but observers have pointed out that if it does not collect it then there should be no reason for the iPhone to record it in the first place.
Claiming that Google is going a step further and stockpiling similar data is typical of the industry rivalry and mud-slinging that goes on all the time, although it is hardly the most mature way to deal with what is being seen as a serious issue by many loyal iPhone owners.
What has been particularly worrying about this incident is the lack of communication from Apple until Mr Jobs got in touch with a single user. Either it is laid back about the implications of the findings or it is feverishly working on a rebuttal to clear its name.
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