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Why does Apple re-enable Bluetooth everytime you update iOS? "STOP RESISTING, WE WANT TO TRACK YOU" (iBeacon)

by dm2 12y ago

astrange 12y ago
iBeacon is purely passive and cannot track you.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
  - YooLi 12y ago
    This is not at all how ibeacon works.
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
- mcintyre1994 12y ago
  You could in theory set up a Bluetooth surveillance network though couldn't you? I really doubt that's remotely the goal for Apple but Bluetooth always on would make it possible I think.
  - rsynnott 12y ago
    It'd be quite a lot easier to do this with wifi, and indeed such systems exist, for monitoring people in shops etc. iOS 8 makes it substantially harder for these to work effectively (through randomised MAC addresses when looking for networks), which seems like an indication that Apple isn't interested in facilitating this sort of thing.
- bdowling 12y ago
  The iBeacon transmitter may be passive, but the signal is typically passed to an app running on a phone, which can do anything, including post all it's position and time info to a server online. The good news is that it appears to be opt-in. In most, if not all, instances a user needs to install an app and enable location services before the iBeacon will trigger anything. No app listening for a particular beacon or set of beacons, no problem. Of course, there could also be malicious code running on the phone, installed by the government or spies, that could silently record everything. That could work now with gps, voice and video recording, wifi network positioning, etc. iBeacon is just one more set of data to collect.
rsynnott 12y ago
People seem to be massively confused about what iBeacon is. It's a thing which emits a signal which can be picked up by the device, and notify an application which has registered to receive it, which requires user approval; the application can then do something. It doesn't monitor devices.

Why does Apple re-enable Bluetooth everytime you update iOS? "STOP RESISTING, WE WANT TO TRACK YOU" (iBeacon)

by dm2 12y ago

Why does Apple re-enable Bluetooth everytime you update iOS? "STOP RESISTING, WE WANT TO TRACK YOU" (iBeacon)

astrange 12y ago

iBeacon is purely passive and cannot track you.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
- YooLi 12y ago
  This is not at all how ibeacon works.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
mcintyre1994 12y ago
You could in theory set up a Bluetooth surveillance network though couldn't you? I really doubt that's remotely the goal for Apple but Bluetooth always on would make it possible I think.
- rsynnott 12y ago
  It'd be quite a lot easier to do this with wifi, and indeed such systems exist, for monitoring people in shops etc. iOS 8 makes it substantially harder for these to work effectively (through randomised MAC addresses when looking for networks), which seems like an indication that Apple isn't interested in facilitating this sort of thing.
bdowling 12y ago
The iBeacon transmitter may be passive, but the signal is typically passed to an app running on a phone, which can do anything, including post all it's position and time info to a server online. The good news is that it appears to be opt-in. In most, if not all, instances a user needs to install an app and enable location services before the iBeacon will trigger anything. No app listening for a particular beacon or set of beacons, no problem. Of course, there could also be malicious code running on the phone, installed by the government or spies, that could silently record everything. That could work now with gps, voice and video recording, wifi network positioning, etc. iBeacon is just one more set of data to collect.

rsynnott 12y ago

People seem to be massively confused about what iBeacon is. It's a thing which emits a signal which can be picked up by the device, and notify an application which has registered to receive it, which requires user approval; the application can then do something. It doesn't monitor devices.