I design the web.

From: CultofMac, VentureBeat, Mashable, CNET, The Next Web.

The Cupertino company updated its privacy policy today to disclose that it may now “collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device”. (As Cult reader Joh pointed out – iOS4 users can opt out of iAd, however, online here) The only service to users mentioned in the privacy policy update is the recently-announced “Find my iPhone” for MobileMe subscribers. ¹

But Apple already knows exactly where all of its iPhone users are in real-time, and is sharing this data with its “partners and licensees” for all users who agree to its just revised privacy policy. This sounds reasonable, except that all iPhone users who want to download applications or media via the iTunes Store are forced to agree to the policy. ²

[ Image courtesy of: CultofMac ]

1. Apple Now Collects, Shares iPhone, iPad, Computer User Locations (CultofMac)
2. Apple Already Knows Where You Are All the Time – and Is Telling Others (VentureBeat)
3. Apple Now Stores and Shares Your iPhone’s Location (Mashable)
4. Apple Advises Users How Location Data Can Be Used (CNET)
5. Apple Is Now Storing and Sharing Data About Your Location. Here’s Why You Don’t Care. (The Next Web)

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2. Loopt to Update iPhone App for iOS 4, Includes Background Check-ins (into Mobile)
3. Loopt 3.0 Marries Background Location With the Check-In (TechCrunch)
4. Loopt Brings Background Location to the iPhone (ReadWriteWeb)
5. In-the-background Location Comes to iPhone Through Loopt (VentureBeat)
6. Location Labs (Formerly WaveMarket) Gives Mobile Apps Geo Data Without a Download (TechCrunch)
7. WaveMarket Relaunches as Location Labs, Considers an IPO (VentureBeat)