After updating to the latest version of iOS 17, some iPhone users are facing the problem of changing existing privacy settings without permission. Apple says it is investigating the reports. Here's the latest news.
Mysk post on X (Twitter) features a couple of iOS developers interested in security. The study found that some users who have Important Locations and iPhone Analytics turned off in their settings have these settings automatically turned on after updating to iOS 17 and do so without warning or permission.
Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that their usage settings should not change when updating to iOS 17. The company says it is investigating the issue and has reiterated its commitment to user privacy.
The two most commonly reported iPhone privacy settings are enabled after upgrading to iOS 17.
It's important to note that while this is concerning, it appears that many, if not the vast majority, of iPhone users remain unchanged after upgrading to latest version of the operating system and do not see any unusual activity.
“Vital locations are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be read by Apple” ; says Apple. This feature is used to track the last places you visited and uses this location data to predict traffic routing, app recommendations, memories in the Photos app, and more.
Even so, Mysk warns that & #8220 ;while Important Places remain local on your iPhone, they can be abused because they record detailed information about places you frequently visit.”
As for iPhone Analytics, Mysk claims “ “Including your location information in these analytics reports may have privacy implications, even if the reports do not identify you.” I further state that “security experts have always advised that these two options be disabled.”
You can find both options in Settings -> Confidentiality and enhancement; Security—>Location Services—> System Service (last option below).
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
