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> How long until this information is available to law enforcement? Well in this case that's entirely the point, people are calling law enforcement. But if you

> How long until this information is available to law enforcement? Well in this case that's entirely the point, people are calling law enforcement. But if you were concerned that someone could just pull up your location at any time, their system only gets your location data when you call 911: https://info.rapidsos.com/blog/bringing-apple-device-location-to-911 https://info.rapidsos.com/blog/bringing-apple-device-locatio... > When this feature is made available later this year in an iOS software update, Apple phones will send fast and accurate device location to the NG911 Clearinghouse when a user dials 9-1-1. That said, law enforcement can already look up where your phone is based on tower triangulation. This is just about getting more detailed information to first responders more quickly.

craftyguy 8y ago
> people are calling law enforcement. Not always. Sometimes it's a medical emergency, or a fire. Law enforcement's access to precise location information should be limited to strictly only emergency scenarios that require their involvement. Any other use should be protected behind a warrant, but it's not clear that this is the case. This is a big shiny object for them that would 'help' in a wide variety of non-emergency situations, so expect abuse. > law enforcement can already look up where your phone is based on tower triangulation Tower triangulation is not very accurate. This technology is about being able to locate someone within a handful of meters, not within a a few hundred km^2. It's orders of magnitude more powerful than the current technology they have.
- jonknee 8y ago
  > This is a big shiny object for them that would 'help' in a wide variety of non-emergency situations, so expect abuse. Did you miss the part where I linked to and quoted that this data is only sent from your phone to the database when you call 911? In non-emergency situations no one will be able to search this database for your location because your location is not in the database.
  - craftyguy 8y ago
    > when you call 911? Right, and there's no possibility for this system being abused in non-emergency situations? Oh please.
    - jonknee 8y ago
      If you call 911 it is by definition an emergency situation, so no I don't believe this could be abused outside of emergency situations. Also, 911 already gets your location and that feature isn't something that gets abused (again, I fail to see how it could, your phone sends its location when making the call, it's not the authorities requesting its location when receiving a call). Automatically letting 911 know where you are when you call is something that saves lots of lives, trying to improve the speed and accuracy of that is a good thing that should not be controversial at all.

craftyguy 8y ago

> people are calling law enforcement. Not always. Sometimes it's a medical emergency, or a fire. Law enforcement's access to precise location information should be limited to strictly only emergency scenarios that require their involvement. Any other use should be protected behind a warrant, but it's not clear that this is the case. This is a big shiny object for them that would 'help' in a wide variety of non-emergency situations, so expect abuse. > law enforcement can already look up where your phone is based on tower triangulation Tower triangulation is not very accurate. This technology is about being able to locate someone within a handful of meters, not within a a few hundred km^2. It's orders of magnitude more powerful than the current technology they have.

jonknee 8y ago
> This is a big shiny object for them that would 'help' in a wide variety of non-emergency situations, so expect abuse. Did you miss the part where I linked to and quoted that this data is only sent from your phone to the database when you call 911? In non-emergency situations no one will be able to search this database for your location because your location is not in the database.
- craftyguy 8y ago
  > when you call 911? Right, and there's no possibility for this system being abused in non-emergency situations? Oh please.
  - jonknee 8y ago
    If you call 911 it is by definition an emergency situation, so no I don't believe this could be abused outside of emergency situations. Also, 911 already gets your location and that feature isn't something that gets abused (again, I fail to see how it could, your phone sends its location when making the call, it's not the authorities requesting its location when receiving a call). Automatically letting 911 know where you are when you call is something that saves lots of lives, trying to improve the speed and accuracy of that is a good thing that should not be controversial at all.