You may be well aware by now that the “i” in the sky is watching you – so there’s no real surprise to find that this was planned some time ago and Apple’s iPhone patent for its “Location histories for location aware devices” has just been exposed!
Published on March 3rd 2011, the patent details the stalking potential of the Apple iPhone before it was accidentally discovered by computer researchers last week.
Explaining how location data would be correlated and related to “network events” such as receiving a call or text, and recording repeat visits to a location, the Apple patent goes on to tell how gathered information will be transmitted back to remote servers.
This document comes to light just after Steve Jobs, Apple CEO snapped back in an email conversation with a concerned customer, claiming Apple do not employ iPhone tracking but suggests Google’s Android is guilty of doing so:
Customer: “Could you please explain the necessity of the passive location-tracking tool embedded in my iPhone? It’s kind of unnerving knowing that my exact location is being recorded at all times. Maybe you could shed some light on this for me before I switch to a Droid. They don’t track me.”
Jobs: “Oh yes they do. We don’t track anyone. The info circulating around is false.”
The CEO was right about Google, as it was later found by researchers that Android does record location data. But that little detail doesn’t detract from the fact Jobs made such a disingenuous remark and the quote has now made its way to the World Wide Web at large.
For a company watching our every move, maybe its main man should be a little more cautious of himself – We’re watching you too, sir.
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Source: Gawker