Aningan: Read on WSJ

Article is from last week. Since then I believe both Apple and Google have been called before the US Senate to answer some questions regarding this.

A lot of things like this don't bother me when it's by choice. I mean when I'm told upfront about it and I can turn it off. But I don't like when it's on by default and they don't tell people about it.

It's good to make a map of Wi-Fi spots but there is no need for user identification for this... So when they say it's to provide better coverage, better wi-fi., I just say it's bullshit.

lukipela: What kind of user identification are they getting by storing a location?

lukipela: What kind of user identification do they get from knowing what stores you go to?

wpegg: you missed out Microsoft, who also do it: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/27/windows_phone_location_tracking/

however for once I don't believe that there is anything sinister involved. The reason is in the microsoft fine print. They aren't storing where you are, so much as where you position correlates to the common markers they have established. In the case of the location based services, WiFi SSIDs and phone masts. the purpose is to provide a faster and more reliable location based tracker than GPS (battery intensive and not available indoors). Without collecting this data they wouldn't be able to triangulate your position as well in the future.

Aningan: From what I see it just said that the information is not stored on the Windows Mobile device. It doesn't say that the information that the devices transmit, including the unique ID, is not stored on some server ready to be used in correlation to the unique ID of your phone. Often times what's not being said is more important than what's being said.

wpegg: it does say that. Right near the bottom of the MS blurb:

"When users contribute location information from their mobile devices to Microsoft's location services, we collect a randomly generated ID to identify a particular device, which is retained for a limited period. We use this identifier to help distinguish location requests, identify errors and improve the accuracy of location services. We don't use it to identify or contact individual device users. "

Darling_Jimmy: The user can be identified by the UDID.

lukipela: Do you have any evidence of this?

Just because the number is unique to that user, it does not mean that the number gives out any actual information about the user. Nor does it mean it identifies the user.

From what I can tell, the only information you are getting is where the phone has been, which is still not what google said it was, but is hardly a major breach of privacy like the Apple one is. Google just uses it to quickly identify where you are for the maps features.

lukipela: I wish people would get more educated about this before getting upset.

lukipela: An IMEI is unique to the phone and helps the carrier identify the model, It has nothing to do with anything about the user.

orcishgamer: That's pretty much the definition of being able to uniquely identify someone. Yes, not all cell companies always have it but once you know it, it's a primary key. And many corp stores do record it. Incidentally, you can permanently ban a cell phone from any major network if you have this number.

lukipela: Can you tell who i am or where i live if i gave you my IMEI number?