Apple denies iPhone location based services in China as a breach of security.
US based tech giant Apple has dismissed reports that its iPhone device is being used for tracking movements of its users. Apple had issued a statement in response to a report which was aired on July 11, 2014 by the lead state-run broadcaster in China, CCTV (China Central Television). The report suggested that the location based services provided on the iPhone – in partcular the frequent locations – were a breach of privacy.
However, Apple in its retaliation statement said that the data collected by the iPhone’s location based services is subject to strict encryption and is not available to any third party or Apple.
The report aired on CCTV also said that the function could track and record the whereabouts of a user, and that the data could be used to provide knowledge regarding official state secrets.
The function is also an optional feature on the iPhone which records information about places frequented by its users and then provides meaningful location based data. The report also mentioned the NSA Snowden cyberspace revelations in relation to the issue. According to the report, US tech company databases are like “gold-mines”
Some Chinese officials have been quoted in the report saying that Apple must take on the legal responsibilities of the data that is leaked by the firm’s devices.
Photo Credits: recombu
