Lawmakers ask Steve Jobs to explain iPhone tracking

CBS

In the wake of a recent discovery regarding data collection on iPhones, some Democratic lawmakers are questioning whether Apple has failed to protect its customers' privacy, and whether the company has possibly broken the law.

Researchers announced Wednesday that they found what look like secret files on the iPhone that track user location and store it on the device, without the permission of the device owner. It's unclear what the data is used for and why Apple has been collecting it in iOS products that carry a 3G antenna for nearly a year now.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and co-chair of the House Bipartisan Privacy Caucus, sent a letter today to Apple CEO Steve Jobs in response to the finding.

He asked about Apple's data collection, storage and disclosure practices, including the company's compliance with a section of the Communications Act that requires companies to get permission from their customers to access information regarding their location for commercial purposes. Markey said he wanted answers from the company to ensure that "sensitive information can't be left behind for others to follow."

"Apple needs to safeguard the personal location information of its users to ensure that an iPhone doesn't become an iTrack," Markey wrote.

Some of Markey's questions include whether Apple intentionally developed this functionality to log the locations of users, and for what purpose it is used. He also asks if it's possible for customers to disable, and if not, why. (According to CNET, it's impossible to disable, since it's part of the operating system.)

Markey asked for responses to his questions by May 12.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) are also looking for answers from Apple, the Hill reports.

"There are numerous ways in which this information could be abused by criminals and bad actors," Franken wrote in his own letter to Jobs.

Inslee said in a statement that he is "deeply disturbed" by the finding.

"I have been concerned that current law fails to ensure consumers are protected from privacy violations," he said.

[toledokid8]

Sorry - I forgot to leave the link. If you want to view what Apple is storing, go to www.itrackit.mobi - that will link you to the windows software to download.

[toledokid8]

Well at least theres now a way to view what Apple has stored. There was only a way for MAC users before, now I see iTrackIt software for Windows that let's you view the information that's stored in the iTunes folder.

[cowhide--2008]

Its is feature not a bug!
How else do you think you can track your kids on the internet with a cell phone? This is nothing new, it is just that the file is not easy to delete, The data is erasable, but the GPS tracking is.

[hhandyman]

The ever watching eye is not CBS ;) is NOT the FBI If you have a faith in a supreme being then that is the eye that watches over you regardless of light cell batteries or anything else and it knows your Intent not just how you acted from what ever your thoughts were.

Thats one that the Republicans cant hide from and the supposed right to life crew cant defund or destroy.

[tsigili]

That's likely the tip of the iceberg. Just do the same sort of check on all the other companies' products, and you will likely find similar results.

[rafaeldrc]

If you couple four facts that have surfaced over the past three years:

1) Cell phone companies, at any time, have the ability to serendipitously glean onto and listen to your conversations even if you're not talking to someone on the phone. In other words, if the cell phone is on, someone may be listening, like law enforcement. The only way around this: Remove the batteries.

2) Google Earth with its roving 360 degree panoramic photo taking vehicles has been quietly storing the locations of all Wi-fi units that come within range and placing it onto its database, namely, the MAC address and BBID along with Lat/long coordinates. What this means is that they can locate your position, past and present based on collected MAC addresses on your computer/smart phone/laptop if your device has made contact with said wi-fi. (Change your MAC and BBID from time to time.)

3) Apple's tracking, compiling and storing of Lat/long positions, thus allowing someone to know where you were and when. (Maybe HTC or Samsung aren't so devious.)

4) A German politician exposed the fact that some of their cell phone carriers were tracking and storing information regarding the time and locations of their customers based on cell phone tower triangulation.

These are nifty tools for law enforcement to posses with all these modes of position tracking and bugging combined.

Imagine, your own smart devices are providing all the evidence they need to convict you, all bought at sale prices and they don't even have to leave their office to know what you're up to. It's just a matter of time.

[YetiRider7]

I just looked at my tracking # for my new HTC EVO(tomorrow morning it arrives) 2 minutes before I read your comment. Now I want to know more as to weather or not they are up to the same tracking thing. I'm calling Sprint in the a.m. and demanding an email/document swearing that they DO NOT!

[barbaram99]

I don't use Apple items. Am a Windows user. The article said that is part of the Apple OS to track its user..It sound very bush like. I won't use a web cam. I am aware that every computer that uses a NIC card has its own address. There should be no secret files that track us. I can understand the helpfulness of GPS. Taxi cabs use a talking Windows GPS using the voice of MS Anna it was helpfut to the driver. My late Dad had a cell phone that did not use GPS. My roommate's cell has GPS and netbook has GPS but it can be turnt off.

[freddyfrugag]

Yeah, like Microsoft never engaged in any nefarious information logging practices, right? If anything, they're the one's who have set the stage for practices like this.

If you're afraid of Apple "items", you should be even more wary of Windows "items".

[bobsam55]

You can't trust any of these so called tech guys. One after another they are a bunch on back stabbinbg sneaks. B Gates and Steve Jobs top the list.

[rationall7]

Show Me The Money! Tracking me=research, where's my check!

[26_Third_Street]

This story is just ridiculous. Apple has marketed the fact that the phones and the ipads are GPS track able. These guys that said they made this BIGGGG discovery about it are just full of B S. It is amazing how gullible people are - to get all exorcised over this. Apple has made it known from the outset of selling both the g4 and the ipad.

[freddyfrugag]

Yep. But now that Apple's big and successful, there's the usual urge by the media and those seeking attention for various reasons to take potshots at it.

[freddyfrugag]

Since when has ANYONE had permission to access source code, other than Unix/Linux? Windows does not consider their source code accessible either, and unless they provide the API, you're not gettin' in there. It's called protection of intellectual property, namely the operating system developed at great expense by a company (or in the case of Microsoft, "INSPIRED INTO CREATION BY LOOKING AT OTHER'S SOURCE CODE" at great expense and repackaged).

API's are the de-facto standard. If they had to be written upon request back in the day, that's just cuz the big players hadn't realized that offering a suite of API's made sense and was more efficient.

As companies like Microsoft and Apple got bigger, they finally had the budgets to create these API suites. In the beginning I doubt if that opportunity was there.