News: Apple sued for alleged illegal location data collection

Last week security researchers analysts revealed that consumers using an iOS 4-running iPhone or 3G-enabled iPad tablet, regularly have their position recorded into a hidden, unencrypted and unprotected file, saved to their PC when the devices are connected.

As expected it didn’t take long for the courts to get involved, with Bloomberg reporting that a lawsuit has been filed against Apple by two American users citing invasion of privacy as well as computer fraud.

Vikram Ajjampur, an iPhone user in Florida, and William Devito, an iPad user based in New York, has sued the Cupertino-based tech outfit in a federal US court and are looking for a judge’s order barring the alleged location data collection.

The two are calling for refunds from Apple, as they wouldn’t have purchased their respective devices if they had any knowledge of this functionality. They also want unspecified punitive damages for alleged careless misrepresentation.

According to the lawsuit this location collection violates federal computer fraud laws and consumer fraud and deceptive trade practice laws in many US states.

“We take issue specifically with the notion that Apple is now basically tracking people everywhere they go,” Aaron Mayer, an attorney for the plaintiffs, stated during a telephonic interview with Bloomberg.

“If you are a federal marshal, you have to have a warrant to do this kind of thing, and Apple is doing it without one.”

Besides this legal action, the iPod maker is also being investigated by South Korean- and European regulators, along with regulators from the Federal Trade Commission over the supposed location data collection.

Apple seems to be quite busy on the legal front recently as it has recently sued and is being countersued by Samsung, and is also involved in a legal battle with Nokia.

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Apple sued for alleged illegal location data collection

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