Apple corrects location tracking 'bug' with IOS 4.3.3

MAKER OF SHINY TOYS Apple has released version 4.3.3 of IOS for Iphones, Ipads and Ipod Touch devices to correct tracking issues.

Apple has released IOS 4.3.3 for owners of its Ithings to fix what it has called a location tracking 'bug'. The new version reduces the size of the cache, no longer backs up the cache to Itunes and deletes the cache entirely when location services are turned off.

This release follows the discovery that Apple products were tracking user's locations without their knowledge or permission. Researchers discovered that the devices were recording the longitude and latitude of the device with a time stamp.

They also found out that the location tracking data stretched back as far as a year and seemed to start with the update to IOS 4. What's more, the data was stored unencrypted and backed up to the user's computer when synchronised with Itunes.

Now with IOS 4.3.3 the cache is no longer backed up to Itunes and Apple mobile devices won't log a year's worth of data. Supposedly now Apple's Idevices will store only a week of location data.

Apple had said that its products were not logging user's locations but instead were simply collecting a database of WiFi hotspots and cellphone towers near the device. It said, "This data is sent to Apple in an anonymous and encrypted form. Apple cannot identify the source of this data."

The fruit themed company did admit that a bug meant the device would still continue to send WiFi and cell tower data even if location services were turned off. This appears to have been sorted out by the latest IOS update.

Although they might seem small, these three changes to IOS might make Igadget owners happier about the situation, giving them more control over the data stored on the device and therefore, some peace of mind. µ