Apple iPhone secretly monitors personal data
20 Nov, 2007 | Comments (
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After all the restrictions that Steve Jobs has imposed on the
owners of Apple iPhone, now it turns out that Apple is probably
secretly collecting personal data from any iPhone.
A power user has found bits of code in the iPhone, that may collect
and send personal data, such as IMEI, IP address, and companies you
are interested in, to an Apple server via the Weather and Stocks
applications. The sent information however is encrypted, so it is
not that sure whether it holds the IMEI code of your iPhone. Some
experienced users have already reverted the code so that it sends
zeroes only.
Data monitoring could provide valuable information of how many
iPhones have been unlocked, how they are distributed around the
world and also for studying user preferences and habits, for
example.
Just before you put your tin foil hat on, remember that Apple have
stated that "
when you interact with Apple, we may collect
personal information relevant to the situation, such as your name,
mailing address, phone number, email address, and contact
preferences; your credit card information and information about the
Apple products you own, such as their serial numbers and date of
purchase; and information relating to a support or service
issue."
Regardless the legitimate issue of the case, it is definitely
immoral for any company to collect personal information in such a
secretive manner. Lately, Steve Jobs has been accumulating lots of
negativism concerning the iPhone. The latest hot topic was the
prosecution of all owners of sites with a domain name including
iPhone in it, which led to a spirit of high discontent among the
internet society.
The other hot news on behalf of the iPhone, announced by some major
news sources, concerns the German unit of Vodafone Group, which has
obtained a court order against Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile mobile
carrier stating that the German telecommunications giant should
start selling unlocked versions of the iPhone in Germany.
Deutsche Telekom is selling the iPhone exclusively in Germany along
with a mandatory 2-year contract and as such is accused of misuse
sales practices. Specifically, Vodafone is questioning the iPhone's
exclusive use in T-Mobile's network and the use of the device being
limited to certain fees within T- Mobile's subscription offerings.
A T-Mobile spokesman has confirmed that the restraining order will
be disputed by the respondent.
http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_secretly_monitors_personal_data-news-364.php
