On Monday morning, Apple CEO Steve Jobs allegedly responded to accusations that iOS devices track user location data.
Last week, two prominent security researchers discovered that the iPhone supposedly maintains a location log that includes longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates as well as a timestamp.
Each time the iPhone is synced to the computer a new log file is created.
Following the controversial report, consumer privacy watchdogs took aim at Apple claiming that user privacy is compromised by the tracking functionality unearthed.
In the days after the tracking feature was found, a great many iPhone users reached out to Apple seeking more information. And it now appears that one such message received a personal reply from Apple’s chief executive.
“Could you please explain the necessity of the passive location-tracking tool embedded in my iPhone?” one customer wrote in an email to Steve Jobs, reports Mac Rumors. “It’s kind of unnerving knowing that my exact location is being recorded at all times. Maybe you could shed some light on this for me before I switch to a Droid. They don’t track me.”
Jobs’ allegedly responded via his iPhone: “Oh yes they do. We don’t track anyone. The info circulating around is false.”
In the past, Steve Jobs has been known to reply directly to Apple customers, although numerous media outlets have been duped by false messages.
For the time being, it’s too early to confirm the validity of the email. But the underlying story is bound to remain in the headlines until Apple formally comments on the matter at hand.
