Significant History
So tonight I’ve discovered that seven layers deep in the bowels of my iPhone I have a list of every single location I’ve ever visited since the history of me purchasing and using an Apple iPhone product. In my case that goes back 11 years.
I have the choice to delete a lot of it but as far as I can tell all this is doing is deleting it from my device and the location history will still be stored on Apple’s cloud.
It states that the data is encrypted and Apple can’t read it but what’s the purpose of collecting the data and hiding it if they have no intention of ever using it in the first place? It’s a bit like putting cameras in the backs of plane seats (Singapore Airlines) and claiming these are not ever going to be turned on.
Here is how I found this magical mystery tour through my iPhone.
SETTINGS APP > ‘PRIVACY’ SECTION > SCROLL DOWN TO ‘LOCATION SERVICES’ > SCROLL RIGHT DOWN TO ‘SYSTEM SERVICES’ > NAVIGATE TO ‘SIGNIFICANT LOCATIONS’
The most interesting thing to me is that they are collecting data from before the location marker and after it to, suggesting to me that predictive analysis is being drawn from where I have been, likely to go and whom I am likely to see.
More chilling effects. More reasons why surveillance capitalism must be considered in each and every case of each and every provider we now engage with.
Given how closely tied my digital memory is tied to this provider I question how I can escape alive and still able to function in society should I choose to ditch Apple too.
