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Aaron Parecki

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  • iOS 8 Wi-Fi Changes - A Privacy Win? Or iBeacon Lock-in?

    June 9, 2014

    Before iOS 8, when an iPhone scans for nearby Wi-Fi, it transmits its unique MAC address as part of the search. Watching for MAC addresses is one of the techniques that is used to locate devices in retail settings.

    A new change in iOS 8 makes it so that when a phone is scanning for nearby Wi-Fi access points, it will use a random MAC address rather than announcing the device's permanent address.

    User Privacy in iOS 8 PDF

    This is a huge win from a privacy perspective, since it is no longer possible to passively track devices by their MAC addresses as they wander around a store. Most articles are touting this as Apple "striking an unexpected blow against location tracking," or "stopping marketers from spying on you."

    However there is another explanation for this change, and one that makes more sense from a business perspective.

    By disabling the ability for third-party companies to track devices using the MAC address, this ensures the only way to track devices indoors is by using iBeacon technology.

    So while this is a positive change from a privacy perspective, really it's just a way to ensure mobile marketing firms are required to use Apple's iBeacon technology and are further locked into Apple's ecosystem.

    Mon, Jun 9, 2014 11:30am -07:00 #ios8 #ios #apple #ibeacon #wifi
    8 likes 4 reposts 8 replies 40 mentions
    • Ed Parecki
    • Madi Cahill
    • Mike Richmond
    • Madi Cahill
    • Ed Parecki
    • Mike Richmond
    • Brian Pagán
    • Niclas Jern
    • Randy Thornton
    • James Smith
    • Charles Stanhope
    • Esri Portland
    • Daniel Patrick Johnson facebook.com/500930623
      Simple solution name your access point linksys and most devices will connect to it.
      Tue, Jun 10, 2014 6:16pm +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)
    • Joshua Marinacci facebook.com/558548672
      I think this is only for the scanning part. You get a permanent MAC when you actually connect.
      Tue, Jun 10, 2014 5:24pm +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)
    • Andrew Pouliot facebook.com/31601196
      Says only when scanning, legit privacy improvment
      Tue, Jun 10, 2014 3:51pm +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)
    • Daniel Patrick Johnson facebook.com/500930623
      Is this only while scanning? If it does it when connecting it will use up all the IP addresses on a lot of access points.
      Tue, Jun 10, 2014 1:42am +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)
    • Aaron Parecki facebook.com/11500459
      Rachel Kalmar definitely! And likewise if you are ever in Portland! Open Source Bridge or OSCON maybe?
      Tue, Jun 10, 2014 12:50am +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)
    • Rachel Kalmar facebook.com/211883
      Let me know when you're in the Bay Area, would love to talk data.
      Mon, Jun 9, 2014 9:01pm +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)
    • Rachel Kalmar facebook.com/211883
      The data middle layer has emerged...
      Mon, Jun 9, 2014 9:01pm +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)
    • Michal Young facebook.com/1176985964
      A little sugar with your arsenic, sir?
      Mon, Jun 9, 2014 6:35pm +00:00 (via brid-gy.appspot.com)

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    • Aaron Parecki aaronparecki.com
      This says it all: "…after Apple announced they were sun-setting MAC address Wi-Fi triangulation, the two companies decided to adopt new Apple iBeacon standards…" http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/04/how-the-49ers-are-using-beacons-to-help-you-find-hot-dogs-and-beer/

      I totally called it: http://aaronparecki.com/articles/2014/06/09/1/ios8-wifi-changes-privacy-win-or-ibeacon-lock-in
      Tue, Nov 4, 2014 9:41am -08:00
    • Barnaby Walters waterpigs.co.uk
      @smarimc agreed, but @aaronpk has an alternative take aaronparecki.com/articles/2014/06/09/1/ios8-wifi-changes-privacy-win-or-ibeacon-lock-in which IMO is more consistent with Apple’s usual behaviour :/
      Tue, Jun 10, 2014 2:58pm +00:00
    • Aaron Parecki aaronparecki.com
      @FredericJacobs Alternate explanation: iBeacon lock-in http://aaronparecki.com/articles/2014/06/09/1/ios8-wifi-changes-privacy-win-or-ibeacon-lock-in
      Mon, Jun 9, 2014 11:30am -07:00
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Hi, I'm Aaron Parecki, Director of Identity Standards at Okta, and co-founder of IndieWebCamp. I maintain oauth.net, write and consult about OAuth, and participate in the OAuth Working Group at the IETF. I also help people learn about video production and livestreaming. (detailed bio)

I've been tracking my location since 2008 and I wrote 100 songs in 100 days. I've spoken at conferences around the world about owning your data, OAuth, quantified self, and explained why R is a vowel. Read more.

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