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Locations can be traced by computers too
By siliconindia
|
Tuesday, 03 May 2011, 00:40 IST
Bangalore:Recent reports suggest that 'Google'
and 'Apple' not just collect location information on their mobile devices but also collect and store the location information from personal computers.
Both Apple and Google allegedly collect location information when Apple's Mac computers scan for wireless networks and Google's Wi-Fi connected computers, which use Chrome browser or its search toolbar plug-in with other browsers. Apple disclosed its location-gathering practices in a letter last year.
The devices obtain the location information after a computer scans the area around itself for available Wi-Fi connections, and when connected, the devices store information when the user gives the website permission to determine the computer's approximate location.
Reports from the Wall Street Journal suggested that mobile phones using Apple and Google software regularly transmit their locations back to the companies. Apple computers send location information to Apple if a user asks the computer to use his location to automatically display the correct local time.
The exact reason behind this data collection by Apple and Google is not known. It is predicted that the information can be used to improve users' experience when they visit sites like Google Maps. Google collects location information through software in its Chrome browser and its toolbar, which displays a Google search box on a Web browser.
