I phone paranoia

[Hanky]

I have 8 apps that have not been updated due to new user agreement.
Am I being too paranoid about Apple spying on me?
Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations [Updated] | Technology | Los Angeles Times

[andyz]

I think so. While I buy a few apps, do they really care to identify me? We are on so many cameras everyday anyway...

Besides, if they called me, I'm likely to answer and I could be found any way you slice it.

[SCone]

The end use could be... the iPhone has learned you like pizza for lunch. You are in area that has a pizza place that subscribes to Apple's system and the pizza place sends you a text message coupon about their pizza.

[mjdmike]

I don't worry much about it. So much of what we do and where we go is tracked and used by someone, mostly advertisers. Most people just don't know about it.

And it's certainly not just Apple. They just want to sell devices. I doubt they care where you go for lunch, or surf on the web.

[Hanky]

Eventually there will be ultra large databases that will be fed everything possible and there is no gaurantee how the information will be used or who uses it. I agree however there is not anything that can be done about it.

[tertius]

If you have a cell phone with you, you can be tracked already. It doesn't matter if it is a smart or dumb phone. I don't see what the worry is with using the 'use my location' feature.

[Hanky]

Originally Posted by tertius

If you have a cell phone with you, you can be tracked already. It doesn't matter if it is a smart or dumb phone. I don't see what the worry is with using the 'use my location' feature.

Did you read the new agreement? If I was just worried about tracking it would be pointless to post in the first place.

[tertius]

Originally Posted by Hanky

Did you read the new agreement? If I was just worried about tracking it would be pointless to post in the first place.

No i didn't, because I want to use the i-Phone. If I was concerned about what it collected I wouldn't use it.

I read the link you posted and the biggest issue that I see is the location information (the entire basis of the link which is titled Apple collecting, sharing iphone users' precise locations). The largest risk to your safety is someone (who has it out for you) knowing where you are. But if you were really concerned (paranoid) you could admit yourself to the psych ward and not have visitors for fear of what they may do to you.

Is this over the top, yes. But it seems to be in line with your reply.

[sldi]

I just think George Orwell missed the date by a few dozen years.

[brewercm]

I'm not paranoid.

Hey, who's that watching me!

[Cajungaltx]

I think there is DEFINITELY a danger in the amount of info others have.

Real life occurence.

We have a room mate - lives in a garage apartment that we converted. His wallet got stolen out of his vehicle, and he had to go get a new SS card.

I have a PO box - it's in my name - at a UPS store.

I went to check the PO Box, and his SS card, with his name, the home address was in that PO box.

How the heck did those two things get connected???

[Morkel]

No, the networks are pretty secure. The most common way to accomplish what you're referring to is to install a spy program on your phone. The perpetrator has to gain physical access to your phone for several minutes. Also, the programs are not cheap and are licensed on a "per monitored unit" basis. Flexispy will run you about $300 (250 euros) per phone.

Smart phones are the most vulnerable to this. If you have an ordinary phone, it's highly unlikely that your phone will be tapped, or remote controlled.

[Steelsun]

The iPhone is pretty insecure - see Jailbreakme.com as an example - they use an exploit to basically hack your phone (with your permission) to Jailbreak it.
Now when other (bad) hackers learn how it's done, they can basically hack your iPhone at will when you visit a website they infected. Experts are predicting the first wild worms to do this in about another week.

[Hanky]

Brian do think a Bank's site would be vunerable? I have instructed my friend in the Philippines to use only her Ipod for Bank account activity as opposed to a net cafe.

[Steelsun]

It's not the bank site that would be the problem - a hacker can put the script in almost any site (the US government and several newspapers have had their sites hacked and malicious scripts inserted). So if someone inserts the bad script in a site the person visits, then (if the script is set up for it) every password or whatever that the person uses afterwards could be sent to the hacker.