I previously posted about how we were betrayed by our own data and used this example. It appears that a data access request is not necessary to obtain this information.
By now, most people are aware that your network provider needs to keep certain information on your current whereabouts in order to connect an incoming telephone call to you when you are out and about, indeed they now have a legal obligation to maintain this information ( with other information) for a period of time(Data Retention Directive and the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 ). Recent research shows that your IPhone is collecting, and maintaining your movements in a database which is on your telephone and also saved on your laptop when you back up your telephone.
Since this data stays in your own possession, is there any reason to worry? Probably not yet as it is unclear why the data is being stored - although I could imagine a lot of uses for it. The researchers have kindly provided a useful application to let you map your whereabouts and movements as stored in the database, once I get it running I may share some of my findings with you!
There is some good discussion on this here.
