iOS Devices Apparently Track And Record Your Movements

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Lily



A rather interesting revelation has appeared regarding iPhone and iPad data storage. According to a new app called iPhone Tracker, made by security researchers Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, your iPhone and iPad tracks and stores your movements from the moment you start using it (via The Guardian). The iPhone Tracker app can access this data on your iOS device and use it to display where you have been and when you have been there.

The data is apparently stored on an iOS device in a non-encrypted file structure and uses the location of the cell towers that support a device to determine the location.  The data is stored as latitude and longitude and is accompanied by a timestamp.  This obviously has massive implications for privacy particularly if your device is stolen or if someone ‘borrows’ it, to gain access to the data.

It is unclear what the reasons behind the storage of this data are.  The data storage was apparently inititated with the release of iOS 4 and, in a surprising twist, is migrated when you get a new device which is synced to an existing backup in iTunes.  However, the researchers are quick to point out that the data does not seem to be transmitted anywhere, including to Apple itself.

It is known that cell towers and wireless providers can inherently track and store user location data via cell towers but this is the first time that it has been demonstrated that the data can be accessible via a device, rather than through the cellular provider.

Apple have not yet commented on the issue.

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  • matt_stl

    I am not to concerned that the device could capture and store the data. In fact there may be times I would want to use that information. What bothers me is: 1) This capability should have been stated openly such that when the device is purchased the owner is aware, 2) The feature should be configurable such that it can be disabled and any transmission to other parties can be restricted, 3) Stored data should be erasable locally or remotely. Pretty much the same as how cookies are treated by most modern web browsers. Encryption would be a nice option, but I would rather see that as a universal option for all types of stored content.

  • SteveP

    Dan: Except, as yet, it’s not Apple tracking the data. It’s the device. I don’t have a good answer to the concerns, but who knows, maybe at some point there will be an app that uses the data in a way that users would want.
    I do kind of think, though, that Apple should make people aware of it and allow its deletion.

  • Danstl

    hmmm really… not a big deal?

    If this article said “Google is tracking and recording your location data WITHOUT your knowledge even when your GPS is turned off (using cell location) and then storing it in an unencrypted format both on your phone and your backups on your computer…” I think your tone would be different.

    AND it also tracks wifi networks, mac addresses of access points, etc… to me this is a big privacy issue – and the end user SHOULD be aware if their device is tracking them… and then storing the history on that…

    -Dan

  • Prof. Peabody

    I don’t see this as a big deal except for the fact that it’s not encrypted. If they aren’t going to explicitly tell people the file exists, it should be encrypted.