The reactions to this latest technological scare story are a little over the top. The information referred to is used by both Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android to enhance the user experience through services like FourSquare etc. They are smart phones after all, and they’re only smart because of the information they receive.

While it does require a response from Apple and Google in relation to the ‘potential’ misuse and obvious privacy concerns it is not evidence of corporate conspiracy. It is probably a standard ‘cock-up’ in that the developers, instead of arranging for the information to be auto-deleted once it’s immediate usefulness had passed, decided to ‘think to the future’ and store it purely on the off-chance it might provide a useful earning stream down the line somewhere.

Besides, governments the world over can track anyone with a mobile phone, ‘any mobile’ that is – not simply smart phones, to within a few metres if they want to. If you are at all concerned over this, don’t use a mobile phone.

Oh no, not the Irish Data Protection Commissioner……..I’m sure Apple are quaking in their boots!

There is already a tweak available for jailbroken iPhones. Just download “untrackerd” from Cydia and the location tracking data will be disabled and old logs deleted!

People may have nothing to hide but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to track their movements. It’s a persons own right to protect their privacy. Apple have been in huge breech of this, especially the fact that they have hidden it from us. If you were asked at the time of registering your iPhone if you’d agree to be tracked I’m sure 99% of people would agree to do so.

Who cares if movement is being tracked….its not fed to a criminal database real time. What have people got to hide???

What a bunch of lemmings in this country. We fight to get rid of an oppressive regime 100 years ago but are happy to throw away our safegaurds to privacy. You think someone has the right to track you? Sorry but i think our constitition says otherwise, so come on red thumbers, prove that others have a right to track you!!

The information isn’t being compiled anywhere, just on the phone, it’s a bug that will be fixed, most smart phones have this problem, it stores a cache of your recent locations, however the iPhone doesn’t wipe the information after a set amount of time.

Not all that bothered about them mate. What can they do? Governments on the other hand….

Who cares if they are tracking the phones!

Just remember how useful tracking can be – it was used as hard evidence in that murder case in the Naul when Joe O Reilly killed his wife for greed. Secondly its opened up social media to beyond status messages – and is bringing the world together. As I write this – thousands of people are sharing their locations via Facebook Places and Foursquare and Latitude, getting home and meeting friends through Google Maps and Ovi Maps and in labs and offices around the world people are solving crimes because of this. I love this.

Has nobody heard of Location Services? Apple explained this about a year ago that they moved from using Googles and a few others’ location database to using their own for any location based apps such as foursquare or google maps.

The location database file will NOT update if you have location services switched off (though it can be turned on unknowingly by some apps).

if you are worried about tracking, listening or lack of privacy – too late, mobile phones even before smart phones hit the market were able to pinpoint locations, eavesdrop on conversations and listen to conversations whilst the phone is turned off – if you are concerned, lose the phone – otherwise take care to ensure you don’t take your phone on your drug deals, killing sprees or into your next mafia meeting – however that being said, the consumers right to know and be informed is not sold off by fine print