Apple, Google Collect User Data

By JULIA ANGWIN And JENNIFER VALENTINO-DEVRIES

WSJ.com Senior Technology Editor Julia Angwin reports Apple's iPhone and Google's Android regularly transmit user location data back to those companies, based on data analyzed by The Wall Street Journal.

Apple Inc.'s iPhones and Google Inc.'s Android smartphones regularly transmit their locations back to Apple and Google, respectively, according to data and documents analyzed by The Wall Street Journal—intensifying concerns over privacy and the widening trade in personal data.

Google and Apple are gathering location information as part of their race to build massive databases capable of pinpointing people's locations via their cellphones. These databases could help them tap the $2.9 billion market for location-based services—expected to rise to $8.3 billion in 2014, according to research firm Gartner Inc.

In the case of Google, according to new research by security analyst Samy Kamkar, an HTC Android phone collected its location every few seconds and transmitted the data to Google at least several times an hour. It also transmitted the name, location and signal strength of any nearby Wi-Fi networks, as well as a unique phone identifier.

Google declined to comment on the findings.

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[TLS]- So not only are they tracking everywhere you go, who you talk to, what sites you visit, who your friends are, your political beliefs and have the ability to turn your microphone and camera on at any time. They are BRAGGING about it! Personal data trade has now become a billion dollar industry worldwide. The customers vary from the Insurance industry to Governments, the data traded includes ANYTHING collected, there are no laws to prohibit what gets sold or to who. In a few years if this continues there will be sites up soon were you can retrieve a data package on anyone, your neighbor or that cute coworker you've been trying to go out with. This is a major problem and if we don't pressure congress to restrict the sale of personal data and speak out about it privacy is going to be a thing of the past.

The worst thing about it all is people are PAYING to be tracked and profiled with their $200-300 dollar+ cell phone, Its unconscionable the amount of info people are willing to give up to Facebook who admits that they sell everything you enter into their site and own your pictures. Many are just going to have to learn the hard way that this data will be used against them and for purposes they really don't want, IRS ... Insurance Firms ... Your employer or future employer ...Your Kids years later!! 'O look at mommy doing a keg hand stand!' lol