Privacy Commissioner’s office needs complaints to investigate iOS 7 ‘frequent locations’ feature

TORONTO – Despite user concerns over Apple’s iOS 7 “frequent locations” setting, the office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner says it would need to receive complaints in order for it to investigate the software for privacy concerns.

Global News contacted the office of the federal privacy commissioner to follow up on a report published in October in which the office stated they could not comment on whether iOS 7 is in compliance with Canadian privacy laws because it has not yet reviewed the operating system.

READ MORE: Privacy Commissioner recommends users disable ‘frequent locations’ setting on iOS 7

In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for the Federal Privacy Commissioner said this week that the office had still not reviewed the ‘frequent locations’ setting.

“While we do certainly monitor technological developments with potential privacy implications, when it comes to examining a specific matter, like this, such an examination would typically take place as the result of an investigation into compliance with privacy law,” Heather Ormerod, spokesperson for the office of the federal privacy commissioner, told Global News via email.

“Generally, investigations are initiated following the receipt of a complaint. We have not had occasion to examine the new Apple iOS7 platform location tracking features from that standpoint.”

The “Frequent Locations” setting allows your device to “learn places you frequently visit in order to provide useful location-related information,” according to the settings description.

But some feel the setting is much creepier than advertised.

The longer your iPhone gathers location information the more it seems to know about you – eventually deciphering your home address from your work address based on the hours your phone records being there.

The feature is automatically turned on when users opt-in to using locations services on their iPhone or iPad.

Ormerod did note that investigations conducted by the federal privacy commissioner are generally conducted in private, though some investigations are shared with the public and media when the commissioner deems it in public interest to share her findings.

Watch below: (October 16) iPhone users react to learning about the “Frequent Locations” setting. Jackson Proskow reports.

When Global News first reported on iOS 7’s frequent locations setting in October, Ontario’s privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian said that she was concerned to hear how many users were unaware of the setting.

Cavoukian urged users to control what apps use location services – turning it off for apps they do not want their information collected on.

If you are an iOS 7 user concerned about the frequent locations setting, you can follow the instructions below to turn off  the setting.

1. Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap “Privacy.”
3. Tap “Location Services.”
4. Tap “System Services.”
5. Near the bottom of the next page, tap “Frequent Locations” and slide the toggle to the off position.

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With files from Jackson Proskow