Apple Has Quietly Started Tracking iPhone Users Again, And Its Tricky To Op

By T1Famous
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Rising Star

CGar

Posted
Posted

They aren't tracking a damn thing. I've been running custom roms since my days of iOS 2.9.8. I made the jump almost 4 years ago to the day, haven't looked back since.

Download BetterBatteryStats. It's doesn't happen 100% of the time, but you'd be surprised at how often Google Maps wakelocks your phone and uses your GPS to determine your location. I can't say exactly what Google is doing with this information, but it's not related to Latitude, and my guess is they are using that location information. There are a lot of posts about this issue, but it seems like it's a concession of having Google Maps. There is no setting that will disable it, other than turning off all of your location services. When you turn on the location services, you even have to click the "Agree" button saying you're ok with Google uploading your anonymous location data in the background, even while nothing is running. Google is no saint, they aren't offering Android out of the goodness of their heart, they want to be the first layer of interaction that accepts your data, hence why they are pushing Chrome and Android so heavily.

I've lost quite a bit of battery on occassions because my Google Maps will turn my GPS/Location services on for 5-6 minutes.

Community Regular

THolman Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Tricky, not in the sense of going into settings, and turning ON the option to limit ad-based tracking. Tricky, not in the sense of how ad based tracking itself works : you explained the technicalities of how it works, but that's beyond the point. It's tricky in the sense that the end user has NO option to completely opt-out. Opt out in the truest sense of the word. In case you're wondering, personally, I give two flips about who tracks my device usage or app usage, I'm merely illustrating the point you missed about this discussion.

Alright, by tricky I meant 'hard to do.' And I absolutely agree that all of these setting should be kept together where they belong, which is under the privacy options. But from what Apple says - and they should know, it's their device - enabling to limit ad tracking option does stop any ad related tracking on your phone. Like I said, they say that with it enabled "advertising networks using the Advertising Identifier may no longer gather information to serve you ads." I'm not sure why it's called 'limit,' as opposed to stop, but their description makes it sound like that is exactly what it does. I see no indication that any form of tracking continues when this setting is on. Now, maybe I am wrong, but that's just what I turned up in a few minutes search :) The new Advertising Identifier actually seems to be giving users a much more granular control over their privacy, regardless of wonky setting menu design.

Mentor

javagreen

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure why it's called 'limit,' as opposed to stop, but their description makes it sound like that is exactly what it does. I see no indication that any form of tracking continues when this setting is on. Now, maybe I am wrong, but that's just what I turned up in a few minutes search :) The new Advertising Identifier actually seems to be giving users a much more granular control over their privacy, regardless of wonky setting menu design.

All concern related to this would've resolved itself if the option was just called 'Stop' or 'Disable' tracking, however, the fact that it isn't called as such makes me wonder. It does, after all, say that advertisers will no longer gather information to serve you ads - as in interest based ads based on info they've gathered - but instead will now just serve the default ads. It doesn't say they'll stop serving ads.

I'm just basing this off how inline ads work in general, and iOS would be no exception.

In any case, thanks for the info :)

Grand Master

Praetor

Posted
Posted

Download BetterBatteryStats. It's doesn't happen 100% of the time, but you'd be surprised at how often Google Maps wakelocks your phone and uses your GPS to determine your location. I can't say exactly what Google is doing with this information, but it's not related to Latitude, and my guess is they are using that location information. There are a lot of posts about this issue, but it seems like it's a concession of having Google Maps. There is no setting that will disable it, other than turning off all of your location services. When you turn on the location services, you even have to click the "Agree" button saying you're ok with Google uploading your anonymous location data in the background, even while nothing is running. Google is no saint, they aren't offering Android out of the goodness of their heart, they want to be the first layer of interaction that accepts your data, hence why they are pushing Chrome and Android so heavily.

I've lost quite a bit of battery on occassions because my Google Maps will turn my GPS/Location services on for 5-6 minutes.

never saw that (Google Maps turning GPS on by it self); in fact today i was seeing what's consuming my battery and, apart from wireless and screen, GPS isn't even the list (didn't used GPS for the whole week).

Mentor

SharpGreen

Posted
Posted

Good for you for being naive enough to believe Google doesn't track your Android phone...

Not on the device itself. Maybe through the services you use. Which that's not specific to Android.

Grand Master

Sikh

Posted
Posted

I kept my Galaxy S for over two years. Still works great and runs the latest os with no problems. It is currently an mp3 player now. Got a new phone when I switched carriers.

If the device works for you, no need to upgrade really.

Wait it runs Jelly Bean without the need of ROM'ing it. You mean samsung officially is supporting most of there high end phones?

Oh wait, thats not possible.....

Mentor

javagreen

Posted
Posted

Wait it runs Jelly Bean without the need of ROM'ing it. You mean samsung officially is supporting most of there high end phones?

Oh wait, thats not possible.....

His post was neutral at best, and you're picking on it like a typical Apple zealot?

I see you've also 'liked' Apple supporting posts above. Nothing wrong with 'liking' whatever you please, but you could've done it in a non zealot fashion, however I realize that's probably an alien concept to you.

Grand Master

Rippleman

Posted
Posted

His post was neutral at best, and you're picking on it like a typical Apple zealot?

I see you've also 'liked' Apple supporting posts above. Nothing wrong with 'liking' whatever you please, but you could've done it in a non zealot fashion, however I realize that's probably an alien concept to you.

just because some defends a company from flames does not mean you are a zealot I for one do defend apple ALOT against the the conman iBabies who cry everyday about apple. Here is the kicker. I hate Apple and hope they fail. Yes, you heard me right... companies that control too much market is a bad thing and are bad for the world as a whole. However, that being said, what i HATE HATE HATE worse is the Android fans who cry about EVERYTHING of apple. One regular name that does it everyday starts with the letter B and people are sick to death of hearing him whine. Its the same scenario as 10 years ago with Linux vs windows. Android is the Linux boys and widows are the apple crowd. Android people like to customize and root and hack, tweak and feel good about have a different screen then what the factory allows. Iphone crowd wants something to just work out of the box and that exactly what it does while Android DOES feel like it needs tweaking out of the box. As it stands right now, from what i see in replies, ALOT of people are really getting annoyed with the "ohh i hate apple so i cry" crowd... even people who don't like apple see their blind hate and laugh. Get over it...
Grand Master

Hardcore Til I Die

Posted
Posted

Is this about the location based iAds which is incredibly easy to turn off?

Don't really consider this an issue. If I have to suffer through ads then I'd rather they be about things in my location!

Mentor

javagreen

Posted
Posted

just because some defends a company from flames does not mean you are a zealot I for one do defend apple ALOT against the the conman iBabies who cry everyday about apple. Here is the kicker. I hate Apple and hope they fail. Yes, you heard me right... companies that control too much market is a bad thing and are bad for the world as a whole. However, that being said, what i HATE HATE HATE worse is the Android fans who cry about EVERYTHING of apple. One regular name that does it everyday starts with the letter B and people are sick to death of hearing him whine. Its the same scenario as 10 years ago with Linux vs windows. Android is the Linux boys and widows are the apple crowd. Android people like to customize and root and hack, tweak and feel good about have a different screen then what the factory allows. Iphone crowd wants something to just work out of the box and that exactly what it does while Android DOES feel like it needs tweaking out of the box. As it stands right now, from what i see in replies, ALOT of people are really getting annoyed with the "ohh i hate apple so i cry" crowd... even people who don't like apple see their blind hate and laugh. Get over it...

I'm over it the moment I finished typing a response to that other guy. I hate zealots as much as you do, regardless of which camp they fall in. Incidentally, it so happens, that the zealots of a certain fruit company are the most logic defying and voracious I've ever seen anywhere (including real life - I own an iPhone too, and an Android phone, so I've had my fair share of 'real world interaction').

I realize you and I have different experiences with different people, and what's been a bad experience for me, may not be as bad for you - and vice versa.

Grand Master

cork1958

Posted
Posted

Laws really have to be put in place about tracking users and the cloud in general so something bad doesn't happen.

What? You wouldn't/didn't EXPECT this from this company? Absolutely no different than EVERYTHING Google does, but that's different, huh?

Partially why I will NEVER own anything from Apple or Google!! :angry:

Grand Master

techbeck

Posted
Posted

Wait it runs Jelly Bean without the need of ROM'ing it. You mean samsung officially is supporting most of there high end phones?

Oh wait, thats not possible.....

Is that what I said? Maybe you should read and understand what a poster says before replying.

Grand Master

neo1911

Posted
Posted

I never thought you'd be in the Pawnshop business... although judging by your post qualities, I'm not really surprised :)

You are the one who is turning this into flamewar and you are judging my posts? That's a joke.

On topic:

There is no company which does not do data farming. Including our beloved Microsoft and Google. This is something end users cannot escape unless the laws are amended.

Grand Master

techbeck

Posted
Posted

What? You wouldn't/didn't EXPECT this from this company? Absolutely no different than EVERYTHING Google does, but that's different, huh?

Partially why I will NEVER own anything from Apple or Google!! :angry:

You can bet Microsoft will do this eventually... Of they are not already

At least Google announced way ahead of the time before they did this so users knew what was going on.. Tho most people didn't understand what Google said and got paranoid and scared. Apple tried to sneak it past their users.

Proficient

Beyond Godlike

Posted
Posted

Whatever. My iPhone 4 is still badass and I really don't care if you don't believe me. You people are hard at work in your own reality distortion field.

The only people claiming the iPhone is perfect are hyperbole obsessed folks like you. Other people live in reality and make objective comparisons between products.

Lmao, no one claims the iPhone is perfect anymore, specially after the horrid iOS6 release. But honestly, its known fact among anyone with common sense it takes less screen taps to get EVERYTHING done on Android. Apple hasnt innovated in a long time, and theyre only playing copy and catchup now.

The only feeling i get when using an iphone is limits, you hit walls constantly because it has SO little features compared to what im used to on Android.

Enjoy your reality distortion field, where you think Apple is competitive. The latest iphone is proof enough that they simply have nothing left in them.

Rising Star

Packet1009

Posted
Posted

actually i think my 4s is perfect - i'd jump to the 5 if it wasnt for a cell phone contract. but that's besides the point.

the locations based ad tracking - simple uncheck etc - think mine was on to begin with. not going to wipe the phone clean and run setup again to make a point.

but wow look at the anti-apple rage. rabid hyperbole is a good way to describe it.

makes me want to add in a obligatory "aww are we butthurt, ? look how butthurt we are" response

Proficient

Beyond Godlike

Posted
Posted

actually i think my 4s is perfect - i'd jump to the 5 if it wasnt for a cell phone contract. but that's besides the point.

the locations based ad tracking - simple uncheck etc - think mine was on to begin with. not going to wipe the phone clean and run setup again to make a point.

but wow look at the anti-apple rage. rabid hyperbole is a good way to describe it.

makes me want to add in a obligatory "aww are we butthurt, ? look how butthurt we are" response

So perfect it doesnt have proper maps or turn by turn navigation. Its not butthurt, its pity, seeing the ignorance of hte iSheep defending such an inferior product.

Mentor

javagreen

Posted
Posted

You are the one who is turning this into flamewar and you are judging my posts? That's a joke.

I'm starting a flamewar? Do you have amnesia? You started the flaming by calling people 'rabid fandroids'.

Double standards will only get you deeper into that ###### you're currently flourishing in.

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