Apple, Google breech peoples privacy

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Apple, Google breech peoples privacy

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Apple Inc. and Google Inc.'s smartphones transmit their locations back to their manufacturer.

23 April,2011 06:36 pm

A Wall Street Journal report said on Saturdaythat Google and Apple are gathering location information as part of their race to build massive databases capable of pinpointing people s locations via their cell phones.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 a research firm.In the case of Google, according to new research by a security analyst, 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.However, Google declined to comment on the findings.Until last year, Google was collecting similar Wi-Fi data with its fleet of StreetView cars that map and photograph streets world-wide.