France launches investigation into Apple Iphone location tracking

REGULATORS IN FRANCE have announced an investigation of Apple over the storage of location data without user consent by its Iphones.

The Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), France's technology watchdog, said that it launched an investigation into the privacy issue by writing to Apple to ask for clarification on a few points. It said it received a reply, which has satisfied some concerns, but that some key questions remain unanswered.

The head of CNIL, Yann Padova, said that it appears that while the data was definitely collected and stored on the handset, it did not appear that it was transmitted back to Apple or its commercial partners. This will be a deciding factor in any kind of judgement against Apple, as Apple can claim that it was not willfully collecting or using this information.

Padova also highlighted that Apple had been improving its communication to users about the location data that is stored on their phones, according to French news agency AFP.

However, he said that Apple had not yet revealed how it secures such data on mobile devices. This is likely to be a sticking point, as Apple can claim it was not making use of the data, but it still has to answer why such data was stored in the first place and why it was not encrypted, a recommendation made recently by Korean authorities.

The French move follows a fine by the Korea Communications Commission of 3m won (£1,726) yesterday and a series of legal actions in South Korea that are almost guaranteed to result in multiple small payouts from the consumer electronics giant.

Apple staunchly denies that it did anything wrong, claiming it does not track people's Iphones and has no intention of ever doing so. It also issued a software fix to IOS to prevent it from collecting and storing location data.

The CNIL was clear, however, that if Apple is found guilty of wrongdoing then CNIL could follow suit with South Korea and impose fines. It's likely only a matter of time now before similar investigations of Apple's Iphone data privacy practices are opened around the world. µ