iPhone GPS Can't Keep Them From Cheating

CC Image courtesy of Nicolas Nova via Flickr

Though it may come as a shock to some, your iPhone cannot expose a cheating partner. “But wait,”I hear you say, “it features a GPS device, and it can track your partner’s every move!” According to a private investigator interviewed by New Zealand’s TV ONE, the GPS tracking device within your iPhone might document their every move, but it won’t matter – if your partner is going to cheat, they’ll find a way to do it.

Julia Hartley Moore runs a website where she claims she has “specialist expertise in uncovering infidelity,” and she said that people are more frequently turning to the apps that put to use the cheater’s GPS device built into their iPhone. “This is something they will put in their cars,” she said.

However, Moore points out, “The bad thing is that people are still going to cheat.” It seems that no matter how much you poke your nose into your cheating partner’s business, they are going to find a way regardless. Or are they?

TV ONE Investigates

TV ONE hosts Ali Pugh and Rawdon Christie decided to see just how a person’s iPhone GPS tracker works on their morning show, and followed one of their colleagues virtually via her phone. It showed her exact location over the course of a few months, and how long she spent wherever she went. The data is available to anyone with an iPhone using the Frequent Location Services function, located in the Settings menu on the iPhone.

They were able to determine where she had been, like one Saturday night, where she was tracked to a Mission Bay restaurant. She remained there from 7-8:30 pm, and then headed to Albany where she watched a movie from 8:52-11:10 pm at a cinema there.

According to Apple, the tracker exists to help people “learn the places that are significant to you and to improve traffic routing services.” All data is stored locally on your phone – Apple assures that this information is not shared with any third party services.

Find My Friends

Another app that Apple says is “a great way to share your location with people who are important to you” has been said to be great for catching a cheater in the act. In fact, one user posted his experience on MacRumors.com in 2011, explaining that the app showed her everywhere his wife was when she sent text messages. It also exposed her lie.

“I got my wife a new 4S and loaded up Find My Friends without her knowing,” he wrote. “She told me she was at her friend’s house in the East Village. I’ve had suspicions about her meeting this guy who lives uptown. Lo and behold, Find My Friends has her right there.”

He proceeded to text her to find out where she was, comparing her answer with the GPS location data provided by the app. They did not match up whatsoever, and now this husband is taking the screenshots of data that catch her in the lie straight to court, where he predicts victory. He said, “Thankfully, she’s the rich one.”

The ‘Infidelity App’

The Daily Mail reported that GPS location data is stored complete with a time and date stamp, and this data is then uploaded to the computer when the device is synced. It’s called the ‘infidelity app,’ and was uncovered by two software developers from the UK.

One man responsible for the discovery, Pete Warden, said, “Apple has made it possible for almost anybody – a jealous spouse, a private detective – with access to your phone or computer to get detailed information about where you’ve been.”

In response to the discovery, they set up a webpage where iPhone users can see exactly what location data is accessible on their phone. They say that although other smartphones have a GPS device, they don’t store the information that Apple does. What’s more, you don’t even need to consent – the iPhone tracks this data regardless.

Daniel Hamilton is the director of Big Brother Watch, a privacy advocacy group. He said, “I think the most concerning thing is that people are simply unaware that this vast database is being created. People ought to be able to move around freely without accumulating a digital record of all their movements.”

It seems the New Zealand private investigator has no idea the power of the iPhone in uncovering a cheater. Apple said that although they do collect the data, “We do not store location data, Maps searches, or Siri requests in any identifiable form.” They claim the data is collected anonymously. However, they say the collection of location data will be key in “smart homes” – they have been awarded a patent for technology that “can adaptively track a user’s location and use the data to intelligently control secondary devices at another locale, such as home appliances.” For example, if you are on your way home, the phone will know exactly when to open up the garage door for you.

There are numerous apps designed to catch a cheater. The logical thing to do: don’t cheat, and you can’t get caught.

What are your thoughts on apps such as this, and the fact that Apple logs all of this information? Will it change the way you use your mobile device?

iPhone GPS Can't Keep Them From Cheating