An unencrypted file stored in iOS 4 recorded location data, which an open source application could then plot.
Apple has begun shelling out dough for its location-tracking debacle lovingly referred to as “Locationgate.”
Apple was ordered to pay out 1 million South Korean won ($946) in compensation for collecting user geolocation data without permission in May, Reuters reported Thursday. The payment was made to a lawyer named Kim Hyung-suk.
This is the first payout Apple has made in response to the issue. And although $946 isn’t even a drop in the hat to the $323 billion company, it may just be the start.
In April, it was discovered that Apple was collecting user location data and storing it in an unencrypted file (“consolidated.db”) within iOS 4. An open source program called “iPhone Tracker” could then be used to turn the file’s contents into an interactive map like the one above. The file could not be accessed with Safari or any apps on the device itself. The location tracking and storing function could not be turned off in that version of iOS, but Apple’s iOS 4.3.3 update eliminated the bug, which was “a mistake [caused] by making the location database file too large.” iOS 4.3.3 reduced the size of that file.
Storing such data on a mobile device itself was problematic because it’s completely unnecessary and could lead to a breach in privacy, especially by law enforcement officials.
Though Apple fixed the glitch, the incident served as a cautionary tale for eroding privacy in the always-connected digital age, through smartphones that are constantly collecting and storing our personal information.
Mirae Law, Kim’s law firm, is now in the process of preparing a class action lawsuit. Two American factions of iPhone and iPad users are also suing the Cupertino-based company. French, German, and Italian regulators also began investigating the incident after it was unearthed.
As our society moves to an ever more mobile computing model, the need for security and clear privacy policies is becoming increasingly important. People aren’t just using their phones or tablets to write friendly emails or play games; they are conducting business, there’s sensitive information involved.
Apple’s locationgate scandal felt to many like a gross violation of privacy.
“This thing remembers more about where I’ve been and what I’ve said than I do, and I’m damn sure I don’t want it falling into anyone’s hands,” The Atlantic’s Alexis Madrigal said.
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