Monday, January 03, 2011

Shame on you, Apple… that’s just creepy | SecurityCurve

Think different…

But what I found really interesting was the reference to Apple’s snooping patent – check it out if you haven’t seen it.  You can see the full text of it here.  Anyway, the short version is that Apple now has the patent on using your electronic devices to spy on you.  They can take steps to identify the user of the device and authenticate them (for example, biometrically).  If they detect an unauthorized user, they can take steps to disable the device or report the location of the device to someone else (I’m guessing the typical use case would be law enforcement).

What’s a little creepy about this, though is that they don’t just stop at “unauthorized user”.  They also extend it to unauthorized usage as well… Specifically, by looking for “suspicious behavior” – such as “…hacking the electronic device, jailbreaking the electronic device, unlocking the electronic device, removing a SIM card from the electronic device, and moving at least a predetermined distance away from a synced device…”  (4)  Ummm… So that’s pretty scary.

Shame on you, Apple… that’s just creepy | SecurityCurve

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