Al Franken’s Questions to Apple
Al Franken has asked nine very important questions to Apple, in light of the recent discovery that Apple iphones and iPads record your location and store the information in an unencrypted format.
“These developments raise several questions:
- Why does Apple collect and compile this location data? Why did Apple choose to initiate tracking this data in its iOS 4 operating system?
- Does Apple collect and compile this location data for laptops?
- How is this data generated? (GPS, cell tower triangulation, WiFi triangulation, etc.)
- How frequently is a user’s location recorded? What triggers the creation of a record of someone’s location?
- How precise is this location data? Can it track a user’s location to 50 meters, 100 meter, etc.?
- Why is this data not encrypted? What steps will Apple take to encrypt this data?
- Why were Apple consumers never affiamtely informed of the collection and retention of their location data in this manner? Why did Apple not seek affirmative consent before doing so?
- Does Apple believe that this conduct is permissible under the terms of its privacy policty? See Apple Privacy Policy at “Location-based Services” (accessed on April 20, 2011), available at www.apple.com/privacy.
- To whom, if anyone, including Apple, has this data been disclosed. When and why were these disclosures made?
I would appreciate your prompt response to these questions and thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Al Franken
United States Senator”
Question 1, 7, 8 and 9, if answered honestly, could be explosive. The premise of the questions are based on how an EU regulator would think.
They’re very good questions.