Apple Refuses To Enable iPhone Emergency Settings That Could Save Lives

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rgMekanic

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Apple keeps ignoring requests to enable a feature called Advanced Mobile Location (AML) in iOS. Enabling AML would give emergency services extremely accurate locations of emergency calls made from iPhones, dramatically decreasing response time. The European Emergency Number Association (EENA), the organization behind implementing AML for emergency services, released a statement that pleads Apple to consider the safety of its customers and participate in the program. Android has already enabled this feature, and the UK is receiving around 15,000 AML locations per day.

I'm a bit torn on this. While I'm usually against tracking or privacy infringements of any kind, I can also see the upside to this system. The article cites a story about an 8 year old who called emergency services after finding him unconscious, the boy didn't know his home address, but because of the system, responders could locate the call within 6 meters instead of the normal 14km. While in this aspect the system is fantastic, with all the other privacy things looming one can't help but to wonder what nefarious things people would want to use this system for.

“For months, EENA has tried to establish contact with Apple to work on a solution that automatically provides accurate location derived from iPhones to emergency services and rescuers. Unfortunately, with no result.”
 
Bookmarking for when in 5 years after this system is fully accepted and there is a news piece of the government accessing/using the automatic system (which is invisible to the user and uses unencrypted SMS) to track an untold number of people on a unlabeled "list" for unknown reasons that they swear is related to national security.
 
Ok so.....if I fire up Google Maps, it knows exactly where I am. I can see it on a map. So I'm thinking....location data is already there. What does this service provide?
 
Yea there is a line where this can be very good but also be used for terrible things. Granted I don't really care if someone tracks where I go by my phone. If you some how become the focus of some's attention and can be stalked/tracked for other reasons beyond emergency that's when this becomes a much larger issue.
 
The function is already there, it's just disabled by default in software. The "people" who want to "locate" you can already use this if they want to.
 
"Android has already enabled this feature, and the UK is receiving around 15,000 AML locations per day. "

So this AML thing just continuously sends your location to the "system"? It does not just work when you say call 911?

Yeah. Fuck that.
 
For the above reasons people mentioned is probably why apple isn't using it.
 
I'm all for this. This will help EMS greatly.

For those that are scared of the government finding out where you are and abusing this feature - they already know where you are. If you're on "the list", they can find out where you are at without this feature.

Either that, or walk to the nearest land line and use that. That gives a good, known address for the caller. Dear God! This technology should have been banned years ago! They know where I live!!!!
 
Ur_Mom said:
I'm all for this. This will help EMS greatly.

For those that are scared of the government finding out where you are and abusing this feature - they already know where you are. If you're on "the list", they can find out where you are at without this feature.

Either that, or walk to the nearest land line and use that. That gives a good, known address for the caller. Dear God! This technology should have been banned years ago! They know where I live!!!!
Click to expand...
^THIS^
The end-user should not have a say in the matter and it should be enabled automatically.
If you don't want this or your cheap tin-foil hat is leaching lead into your blood stream I sugguest you don't own a smart phone.
There are plenty of non gps equipped cell-phones on the market.
 
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necrosis said:
"Android has already enabled this feature, and the UK is receiving around 15,000 AML locations per day. "

So this AML thing just continuously sends your location to the "system"? It does not just work when you say call 911?

Yeah. Fuck that.
Click to expand...

If it was continuously sending data then it would be A LOT more than 15K/day.
 
Ur_Mom said:
I'm all for this. This will help EMS greatly.

For those that are scared of the government finding out where you are and abusing this feature - they already know where you are. If you're on "the list", they can find out where you are at without this feature.

Either that, or walk to the nearest land line and use that. That gives a good, known address for the caller. Dear God! This technology should have been banned years ago! They know where I live!!!!
Click to expand...

Remember back in the day when anyone could pick up the phone book, look up your name, and either call you or just drive to your house to say hi?

And there were phone books in every pay-phone booth on almost every commercial corner or business location.

Of course sometimes the pages were gone, or burned, or had coffee spilled on them ....
 
So wait, Disney/Google/Amazon/Walmart know exactly where you are 24/7 via apps but EMS has to use cell tower info? Whaaaaat?
 
lcpiper said:
Remember back in the day when anyone could pick up the phone book, look up your name, and either call you or just drive to your house to say hi?

And there were phone books in every pay-phone booth on almost every commercial corner or business location.

Of course sometimes the pages were gone, or burned, or had coffee spilled on them ....
Click to expand...

Dude, there is no way that would ever be a problem.

the-wrong-sarah-connor-the-terminator-20080303044745072.jpg


Oh shit.

I guess you could pay more to be unlisted, so you had some control over it. But, with 911 (Enhanced Services? Something like that), they knew where you were calling from.
 
Ur_Mom said:
I'm all for this. This will help EMS greatly.

For those that are scared of the government finding out where you are and abusing this feature - they already know where you are. If you're on "the list", they can find out where you are at without this feature.

Either that, or walk to the nearest land line and use that. That gives a good, known address for the caller. Dear God! This technology should have been banned years ago! They know where I live!!!!
Click to expand...

Those are assumptions, as well as pretty hard to access data, this is low level and would be far more broad in abuse of what is possible, and is unencrypted. Also knowing someones personal address is not the same as knowing exact location 24/7.

Dead Parrot said:
So wait, Disney/Google/Amazon/Walmart know exactly where you are 24/7 via apps but EMS has to use cell tower info? Whaaaaat?
Click to expand...

They don't. Data gathered from location data is first scrubbed of all personal information (this system however sends personal information including IMEI and GPS locations) and is then encrypted (this system is not) and the data Apple collects is never given or shown to advertisers etc etc.
 
AGPS (cell phone assisted) can already get indoor accuracy up to around 60-100ft.

Where the hell did this 14km figure come from? cell phone towers aren't 14km away.

I have to go by assumptions here, but eu privacy laws may not allow governmental agencies to get broad location data from everyone through the telcos, so they implemented their own system under the guise of emergencies to track everyone down.
There's literally no need for this. Standard gps is in within 50 ft. Anyone who calls 911 can be tracked through their location, i'm sure europe has a similar thing with cell phone tower tracking. But it's on a case by case basis when needed, not all the time.
 
Ur_Mom said:
I'm all for this. This will help EMS greatly.

For those that are scared of the government finding out where you are and abusing this feature - they already know where you are. If you're on "the list", they can find out where you are at without this feature.

Either that, or walk to the nearest land line and use that. That gives a good, known address for the caller. Dear God! This technology should have been banned years ago! They know where I live!!!!
Click to expand...
The issue isn't being on a watch list, the issue is getting everyone's data all the time. The NSA does this on the down low and it's illegal. Case and point to snowden ratting out his NSA colleagues who used their public surveillance system to spy on their wives and girlfriends. Another case is when they obtained nude photos and shared them: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...ouses-girlfriends-documents-article-1.2058282
 
I'm having a difficult time believing they can't determine where someone is within a 5 mile radius.
 
BlueFireIce said:
Those are assumptions, as well as pretty hard to access data, this is low level and would be far more broad in abuse of what is possible, and is unencrypted. Also knowing someones personal address is not the same as knowing exact location 24/7.
............................
Click to expand...

Well it's not exact location 24/7 cause ALM activates when the user dials an emergency number or under whatever criteria is established. The service is always on in the phone, but it doesn't send messages until needed. It's about time we got that part of the issue sorted out proper, too many running on a misconception.
 
They should really just destroy all the GPS satellites and abandon the entire concept of tracking anything. Because privacy.
 
necrosis said:
"Android has already enabled this feature, and the UK is receiving around 15,000 AML locations per day. "

So this AML thing just continuously sends your location to the "system"? It does not just work when you say call 911?

Yeah. Fuck that.
Click to expand...

Do you even math? 15.000 for the UK is about 2/3 of all emergency calls.

This is why we can't have nice things, because people jump to conclusions without thinking.
 
Hypergreatthing said:
AGPS (cell phone assisted) can already get indoor accuracy up to around 60-100ft.
Click to expand...
In special cases where there are network repeaters indoors. Like shopping centres. Otherwise maybe you can narrow it down to a district or city block in a best case scenario.

Where the hell did this 14km figure come from? cell phone towers aren't 14km away.
Click to expand...
Yes they are in rural areas.

I have to go by assumptions here,
Click to expand...
Like that was a good thing ever.

but eu privacy laws may not allow governmental agencies to get broad location data from everyone through the telcos, so they implemented their own system under the guise of emergencies to track everyone down.
There's literally no need for this. Standard gps is in within 50 ft. Anyone who calls 911 can be tracked through their location, i'm sure europe has a similar thing with cell phone tower tracking. But it's on a case by case basis when needed, not all the time.
Click to expand...
This is not a new tracking system, this is giving access to the phone's gps in case you call an emergency line, nothing more. The protocol trough which is it enabled might be new, but it's not like they're installing a brand new completely stand alone tracking system.
 
Ur_Mom said:
I'm all for this. This will help EMS greatly.

For those that are scared of the government finding out where you are and abusing this feature - they already know where you are. If you're on "the list", they can find out where you are at without this feature.

Either that, or walk to the nearest land line and use that. That gives a good, known address for the caller. Dear God! This technology should have been banned years ago! They know where I live!!!!
Click to expand...

Jim Kim said:
^THIS^
The end-user should not have a say in the matter and it should be enabled automatically.
If you don't want this or your cheap tin-foil hat is leaching lead into your blood stream I sugguest you don't own a smart phone.
There are plenty of non gps equipped cell-phones on the market.
Click to expand...

Except this is just stupid. Why not just give 911 a legal access to the providers ability to query your phone location. Which they can already do today. Its just pointless to send extra data when all they have to do is prearrange for 911 operators to be able to press a button and locate your phone.

Hypergreatthing said:
The issue isn't being on a watch list, the issue is getting everyone's data all the time. The NSA does this on the down low and it's illegal. Case and point to snowden ratting out his NSA colleagues who used their public surveillance system to spy on their wives and girlfriends. Another case is when they obtained nude photos and shared them: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...ouses-girlfriends-documents-article-1.2058282
Click to expand...

Except thats not what he did and its not what they do either. You didnt read the Congressional report did you? The link btw has nothing to do with that traitor.
 
There needs to be legislation in place that prevents the service from being used against it's owner in court.
 
kju1 said:
Except this is just stupid. Why not just give 911 a legal access to the providers ability to query your phone location. Which they can already do today. Its just pointless to send extra data when all they have to do is prearrange for 911 operators to be able to press a button and locate your phone.



Except thats not what he did and its not what they do either. You didnt read the Congressional report did you? The link btw has nothing to do with that traitor.
Click to expand...
did you read the last sentence?
 
If this is just something to be used by EMS then I am 100% behind it. The figure quotes 15,000 locations provided, which I'm guessing would ONLY be EMS calls due to the low volume - it would otherwise be MUCH higher.

But let's face it, Apple won't do it because Android do and Apple will go to extreme and retarded lengths to not look like they're doing the same thing as Google. The 'maximise' window behaviour in Mac OS comes to mind.
 
focbde said:
If this is just something to be used by EMS then I am 100% behind it.
Click to expand...
Oh at first it would only be used for that but as with any new technology that the governments get their hands on, they abuse the hell out of it to the detriment of the citizens.
 
So maybe just have a software switch that turns it on whenever 911/999 is dialled? Once the call is finished it switches off after 2 minutes.

Having had to call in several critical medical emergencies in the past I can honestly say you feel at that point you want the biggest red arrow pointing directly over your location for all to see saying "Some bad shit happening here!!! Helpppp!!!"

You don't really understand till you are there making the call and someone is laying there critical, oh and the person on the 911/999 has asked for your location for the 6th time after you have stated it pretty calmly in pretty plain English and you are at that point of shouting "are you fucking kidding me???!!!!"

It's emotional but you get better at it the more times you do it...unfortunately.
 
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trparky said:
Oh at first it would only be used for that but as with any new technology that the governments get their hands on, they abuse the hell out of it to the detriment of the citizens.
Click to expand...

Give the number of people using GPS who drive into lakes/rivers/muddy fields we hear about all the time, I think we, the public, are doing a fantastic job ourselves using technology to our own detriment...
 
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