Even if you pay DropBox to use their service. As Dropbox states that their servers are encrypted (AES-256), i.e., cannot be decrypted with the key, I had assumed my files were perfectly safe from all eyes except mine. The employees are prohibited, not unable to access your files. As for the second, while DropBox has since clarified that their employees are prohibited access to user files, they do explicitly say that they can be accessed if needed/wanted. The first is understandable as a court order is binding. There are two problems associated with this: (i) your files are not safe with DropBox, as in the government can get them with a simple court order and (ii) your files can be de-encrypted by the people over at DropBox. In these cases, Dropbox will remove Dropbox’s encryption from the files before providing them to law enforcement. Their security and privacy policies have raised ire recently based on this statement or “explanation of their policies” (read the full story and the ensuing explanation from DropBox at TUAW):Īs set forth in our privacy policy, and in compliance with United States law, Dropbox cooperates with United States law enforcement when it receives valid legal process, which may require Dropbox to provide the contents of your private Dropbox. You might want to start encrypting your iPhone/iPad backups.Ģ) DropBox: We have extolled the the virtues of DropBox here, and they recently reached 25 million users. As Allan & Warden point out, the cellphone carriers need a court order to provide the data but now the same is sitting on your iPad/iPhone or its backups. This goes above and beyond what cellphone carriers do (and are allowed to do), as was recently seen in when a German politician sued his carrier for access to the data. Very powerful, and disturbing, stuff indeed! Presumably, if Apple wants, they can easily fetch the file from every single iPhone via their software updates. Apple or any hacker can easily access that information by hacking into my iPhone or laptop that backs up the iPhone. When I bought my iPhone, I do not remember signing an agreement to be tracked by Apple. I have no idea why Apple wants to store the data of my whereabouts, but I do not like being tracked. Be careful when you sell your iPhone/iPad! If you have Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard, you can use Allan & Warden’s open source app “ iPhone Tracker” to plot an interactive map of where you have traveled since you procured your iPad/iPhone. The file is also unencrypted and unprotected, meaning it can be accessed by anyone who gets their hands on your iPhone. To be noted is that the feature was introduced only in iOS 4. The iPad 3G does the same. The file called “ consolidated.db” is stored locally and is restored across backups, resets, and device migrations implying that Apple is doing this intentionally. As all of us use the iPhone/iPad and/or the DropBox fairly regularly, this merits some discussion.ġ) iPhone/iPad: Alasdair Allan & Pete Warden found that their iPhone has been tracking their location and the associated timestamp ever since iOS 4 was released (read more on ). Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.There have been two recent developments exposing how false our sense of privacy is in this technological world. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Wire service provided by Associated Press. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice.
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