Apple Thoughts: Apple's Location-Based Data Collection Explanation Satisfies Congress

"When congress calls, Apple answers. According to CNet, Apple general counsel and senior vice president of legal and government affairs, Bruce Sewell, has sent two congressmen a 13-page letter detailing the whys and wherefores of Apple's policies and procedures for collecting location-based data."

iPhone users have expressed privacy concerns over Apple's practice of collecting location-based data for use in applications and advertising. Congress was listening, and asked Apple to explain their policies and procedures. Apple's 13-page response described in detail how everything works, including their privacy policies, and how latitide and longitude information is converted to a ZIP code for use by iAds and Apps. In iOS 3.2 and later, information is stored in Apple's own proprietary format using information that they've collected from cell towers and WiFi access points - they no longer use Google or Skyhook Wireless databases. They stressed that personally-identifyable data is -not- stored anywhere. Congress seemed to be satisfied with Apple's responses - for now.