Apple has updated to its mobile operating system to iOS 4.3.3 to address bugs related to the collection of location information on mobile device users.
After promising to fix the problem in a Q&A last week, Apple released iOS 4.3.3, which provides the solutions. The iOS 4.3.3 update reduces the size of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database cached on the iPhone and other mobile devices, ceases backing up this cache, and deletes this cache entirely when the location services function is turned off.The iOS 4.3.3 update applies to the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad, iPad 2, and third-generation and fourth-generation iPod Touch.
The location tracking became an issue following reports that Apple and Google smartphones save and transmit user location data without user consent. The issue even prompted congressional interest, with a Senate Judiciary Committeee panel planning to hold a hearing on May 10. Read More
