If you think about companies that want to take as much data from you as possible regardless of how you feel about it, the two companies that would most likely end up coming to mind are Google and Facebook. A big part of the reason why that is the case has to do with the fact that these companies are very open about the data that they collect, and this has lead some corporations such as Apple to take a pro-privacy stance and fight for the rights of consumers to control what data of theirs is collected and how it has the potential to end up being used all in all.
With all of that having been said and out of the way, it is important to note that Apple might not 100% transparent in its privacy practices, that it often tries to paint itself as. The reason behind this is that your iOS devices are tracking your locations without you even knowing about it, i.e. according to security researchers. If you were to go into the repository of data that Apple has on you, you would notice that things like places that you go to frequently and the mode of transportation that you use in order to get there are recorded through a setting that many people don’t even know all that much about.
This is the significant locations feature, and it is something that Apple is openly admitting to having added to iPhones and other devices that use their software and are manufactured as part of their overall product line. This is ostensibly being done in the service of a seamless user experience by giving you suggestions about when you should leave, optimizing the routes that you can take in order to get to where you need to go as well as sorting and customizing pictures based on the significant locations where they might end up being taken.
Now, you should bear in mind that this is a feature that you can turn off if you go into settings. It’s not hard to find, it’s just that Apple has not been all that open about it which is concerning. Also, the information is only present on the device itself rather than a centralized server, something that can prevent the data from getting into the wrong hands. Still, this is something that most people would find unsettling which is why you should be careful and turn it off.
Read next: Lack of Address Registry for Majority of Apps Shows Sorry State of Consumer Data Protection
With all of that having been said and out of the way, it is important to note that Apple might not 100% transparent in its privacy practices, that it often tries to paint itself as. The reason behind this is that your iOS devices are tracking your locations without you even knowing about it, i.e. according to security researchers. If you were to go into the repository of data that Apple has on you, you would notice that things like places that you go to frequently and the mode of transportation that you use in order to get there are recorded through a setting that many people don’t even know all that much about.
This is the significant locations feature, and it is something that Apple is openly admitting to having added to iPhones and other devices that use their software and are manufactured as part of their overall product line. This is ostensibly being done in the service of a seamless user experience by giving you suggestions about when you should leave, optimizing the routes that you can take in order to get to where you need to go as well as sorting and customizing pictures based on the significant locations where they might end up being taken.
Now, you should bear in mind that this is a feature that you can turn off if you go into settings. It’s not hard to find, it’s just that Apple has not been all that open about it which is concerning. Also, the information is only present on the device itself rather than a centralized server, something that can prevent the data from getting into the wrong hands. Still, this is something that most people would find unsettling which is why you should be careful and turn it off.
Read next: Lack of Address Registry for Majority of Apps Shows Sorry State of Consumer Data Protection
