A number of outlets are reporting an update to Apple’s privacy policy,
which now gives Apple the option to store your location, if you opt in.
Frankly,
this is all a bit puzzling. Users have been asked to provide
location-based data to location-centric apps for years now. But Apple
has apparently made this explicit in its privacy policy, leading
to a small round of hand-wringing.
The passage in question:
To provide location-based services on Apple products, Apple and
our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location
data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer
or device. This location data is collected anonymously in a form that
does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners
and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and
services. For example, we may share geographic location with application
providers when you opt in to their location services.Some location-based services offered by Apple, such as the
MobileMe “Find My iPhone” feature, require your personal information for
the feature to work.
As
you might expect, there’s a provision in the settings from turning off
the location features.
The LA
Times seems quite worried that Apple might collect and store
location information. If you’re that concerned, you might consider a
GPS-less featurephone.
Post a Comment