One key feature in iOS 8 was not discussed on stage, but is a huge win for customers. Apple is apparently taking user privacy very seriously at the expense of retailers, and companies that collect user data. When Apple unveiled iOS 8 at WWDC last week they didn't mention an important change to location tracking. iOS 8 will introduce MAC address spoofing and you should be happy about it.
Currently, when you walk into a store with your iPhone the store may know you entered. Your iPhone can look for a WiFi network, and the MAC address of your phone is passed to the network in the store. There is a market for this kind of information and some retailers have saved the information in an effort to create customer profiles.
By scrambling the MAC addresses in iOS 8, iPhones will become invisible to these systems. Along with other initiatives like making Siri do Google searches for you, thereby placing a barrier between you and Google, Apple is protecting user privacy. This is a good thing for all users. As well intentioned as Google is, collecting and storing data about users can be creepy for some, and a security risk for others. Thanks Apple!
Currently, when you walk into a store with your iPhone the store may know you entered. Your iPhone can look for a WiFi network, and the MAC address of your phone is passed to the network in the store. There is a market for this kind of information and some retailers have saved the information in an effort to create customer profiles.
Combined with inventory and in-store video, the records are immensely valuable to stores as marketing data, and companies like Euclid Analytics and Path Intelligence have made an industry out of providing them. But now that Apple has embraced MAC spoofing, the practice of Wi-Fi sniffing may stop working entirely.
By scrambling the MAC addresses in iOS 8, iPhones will become invisible to these systems. Along with other initiatives like making Siri do Google searches for you, thereby placing a barrier between you and Google, Apple is protecting user privacy. This is a good thing for all users. As well intentioned as Google is, collecting and storing data about users can be creepy for some, and a security risk for others. Thanks Apple!