Your iPhone Is Tracking Your Every Move, Says Forensic Examiner

Mark McLaughlin, a digital forensic examiner with the Los Angeles-based Computer Forensics International, has a clear message for iPhone owners: “if you're trying to hide where you've been, leave the iPhone at home.”

Computer Forensics International has issued a report to inform Apple customers about the privacy concerns surrounding their sleek handsets.

Mark McLaughlin explains that "iPhones record every step you take and when you took it," adding that examiners arm themselves with this location data  to draw a Google map of the route and the exact time a person was in a location, “down to the second."

“iPhones are the premier member of the smartphone family that record bucket loads of data and are built on a mobile computing platform,” according to CFI.

CFI explains that forensic detectives capture the iPhone's location data from two sources; nearby cellphone tower sites and any wireless data network, such as the WiFi network at a cafeteria.

This data collection feature can only be stopped by turning on Airplane Mode, but  the previously recorded data will still be there, CFI said.

McLaughlin uses bleeding edge software tools to analyze iPhones belonging to suspects in both civil and criminal cases.

He makes an exact copy of the phone's memory, which also includes deleted data, and then searches the data either visually or by using keywords to find evidence that is relevant to the case.

“This data can be a boon for attorneys and investigators working on civil and criminal cases,” says CFI. “It could provide the corroboration to put a cheating spouse at a specific residence when they should have been at work. Or it could be used to tie individuals together in a criminal conspiracy where they otherwise couldn't be connected.”

McLaughlin concludes saying, "This location data capture shouldn't be a problem for most iPhone owners. But if you're trying to hide where you've been, leave the iPhone at home."

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