Transcript of Interview With Jobs, Schiller, Forstall Over iOS Location Logging

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Posted April 27, 2011 at 11:56pm by iClarified

Mobilized has posted an edited transcript of their interview with Steve Jobs, Phil Schiller, and Scott Forstall regarding the iOS location logging uproar.

One of the challenges here is that, by their nature, location-based services require location information, but that information is highly sensitive and can be used in a lot of ways. How does Apple approach this balance?

Jobs: I think we do two things. Number one is we get consent from users if we are going to use location, or we never use location. That’s what we do. It’s very straightforward.

We haven’t been tracking anybody’s location and the files they found on these phones, as we explained, it turned out were basically files we have built through anonymous, crowdsourced information that we collect from the tens of millions of iPhones out there.

We build a crowdsourced database of Wi-Fi and cell tower hot spots, but those can be over 100 miles away from where you are. Those are not telling you anything abut your location. That’s what people saw on the phone and mistook it for location.

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Transcript of Interview With Jobs, Schiller, Forstall Over iOS Location Logging

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David Smith - April 28, 2011 at 8:38am

I want an on/off options. Not just a term hidden in the term and conditions. Also my phone is using up memory and battery power and I would like to turn it off.

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Nick - April 28, 2011 at 11:34am

There will the ability to turn it off once they release their next iOS update, they already stated that. Also, the only time your phone sends them the location data is if you agreed to send them diagnostic information from your phone, not by just agreeing to the terms and services of the update.

Barry - April 28, 2011 at 12:19am

This is untrue. I have been in 4 different counties with location turned off etc and yet the file on my Mac clearly tracked my travel.

Nick - April 28, 2011 at 11:33am

It's also marking based on cell phone signal triangulation. When the next firmware update is out you'll have the option of getting rid of the iPhone's ability to mark down your locations. Anyways, the only way Apple is even seeing that data is if you agreed to send them information from your phone to help them out, and even if you did that it isn't sending them your personal information or even a sign that that location information is from your phone specifically.