Illegal data collection

Apple is found to have collected and stored location information of iPhone and iPad users. The data remained in files of the devices in unencrypted form and users were unable to delete the data. This will lead to personal information leaks and abuse of the data by criminals.

Apple began collecting users’ geographical locations in January 2008 along with the launch of location-based services such as “Find My iPhone” and “Find My Friends.” On June 21 last year, Apple revised its policy on customer privacy protection and added a clause to allow the company and its partners to collect, use and share location information, including real-time geographical information on Apple’s products. Apple did not say, however, that the collected location data would remain in iPhone files. By doing so, users were deprived of the right to opt out of retention of the collected data.

When a U.S. congressman warned of privacy violations last year, Apple said it was obtaining a user agreement on the collection and use of location-based service data and allowing users to easily turn off location-based services. Users of Apple devices might have agreed on the provision of their location data at some point, so the data collection might not be illegal. The world’s largest handset maker, however, should have been more transparent in informing its customers of the data collection as users can easily be abused by a tech power as big as Apple.

Google’s Android phones also transmit user location information to the Google database several times an hour, according to The Wall Street Journal Friday. IT giants are racing to collect personal data as the data is necessary for developing new location-based services. The location-based service market is expected to grow to 8.3 billion dollars by 2014. Supervisory authorities must closely monitor IT giants to prevent them from abusing personal data under the pretense of developing new services.

Personal information can easily be abused should IT operators receive free rein to glean website visit records and information on smartphone users’ movements. IT operators say user identities will not be exposed and rule out risk of hacking. They must know, however, that users want to leave no room for privacy violations. Just as the new Internet operating system is equipped with a device to prevent trace tracking, mobile applications must ban illegal location tracking as well. For their part, users should pay more attention to their personal information to protect their privacy.