23 
The popular iOS version of Google Maps might be about to get Google in trouble with European privacy enforcers, thanks to the way it assumes you’re OK with sharing your whereabouts by default.
The worries come from the Independent Centre for Privacy Protection, which told Computerworld that Google is violating European data protection laws in one very simple way — by having the iOS mapping app set to share location data activated by default.
Launch Google’s iOS Maps app for he first time and it’ll give you the usual lecture about sending back anonymous user data, with Google ticking the little tickbox automatically. That’s a bad thing. That’s Google making assumptions and breaking the law, apparently.
And while Google claims it only sends anonymous data back to its servers, data protection experts claim that can’t be true, and that even anonymous location data counts as personal data under Euro laws. They’re not happy. [Ars]
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Nooo, don’t you be taking my Maps away from me!
Sam you have to admit if this did happen it would be hilarious.
I wouldn’t call it hilarious. I’d scream murder, probably.
Breathe Sam, Breathe!!
Don’t make me initiate another Lawton procedure.
LOL! That’d be number 4 or 5 surely? My favourite was the Playstation Controller
You won’t be saying that when I pop round on Christmas morning with a working prototype of said controller.
Say hello to Apple Maps
It’s not like they are tracking real people.
I am now thinking that Apple are pure genius. They were paying a licence for the API of Google maps, then drop it for their own poor product, Google sees the weakness and jumps at the chance, Google maps is instantly the number 1 free iOS app as Apple get a brilliant mapping solution free of charge, and can now let the TomTom licence run down.
Google just got mugged, big style.
One of The Loops readers commented on something like that:
http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/12/13/apple-pulls-one-over-on-google/
Obviously he was shot down with “fanboyism” because that’s the world we live in. But it’s still an interesting point.
I am sure you couldn’t plan this, but it is interesting to speculate on it being a genius mind game.
And the risks are high, as if iOS users have a better Google experience on an iPhone than what they get off Apple on an iPhone then the next logical step is to get an Android device. Be interesting to keep tabs on this over the next 6-12 months – was the data protection tip off from Apple?
Except now Google has full access to iPhone users location data, which Apple didn’t want to share before.
If it is against the app store terms then they can always take it down, against the wishes of everyone using it above their own shoddy app. So does the iPhone share location data with apple by default?
On a semi-related note. The Samsung notice has now gone from Apple’s UK site.