Recently, Apple got into trouble by being caught red handed, and now they finally admitted that the settings of millions of their smartphones are misleading users regarding the way their location data is used. They promised to address and fix the issue very soon.
The problem
It was revealed that devices part of the new iPhone 11 range from Apple are seeking data about their location even when users disabled location services. This issue is obviously violating the privacy policy of Apple.
Response
Initially, Apple dismissed the discovery (even though it was documented in a video), by labeling it as “expected behavior”. However, they decided to warn users that the Ultra wideband chip featured on the iPhone 11 range is undergoing some background checks:
“Ultra wideband technology is an industry standard technology and is subject to international regulatory requirements that require it to be turned off in certain locations.”
They also specified that their operating system is using Location Services to help decide if an iPhone is located in some prohibited areas, so that ultra wideband could be automatically disabled to meet regulations.
Apple also stated that the “management of ultra wideband compliance and its use of location data is done entirely on the device and Apple is not collecting user location data.”
Future actions
A report from 9to5Mac has confirmed that the next week will meet users with an iOS update (iOS 13.3). This is expected to include Apple’s promised fix (the ability to completely turn off Location Services) as part of it, alongside support for FIDO2 security keys and advanced parental controls.
