In the technology drivenworld we live in today, we all question whether or not privacy is still a relevant concern for companies when it comes to the well-being of their consumers. The recent scandal involving Apple’s iPhone tracking system not only brings about questions of if privacy is a priority for businesses anymore, but also how issues like this should be approached and responded to, both by the consumers and the companies involved. Something I feel both aided in causing this privacy breach issue and also allowed it to escalate and perpetuate further was Apple’s secrecy surrounding the data collection and their inability to respond quickly to concerned product owners. It is important for consumers to not only be able to trust the physical product but also the company behind it and Apple has lost some of this trust due to not handling the scandal in a timely fashion. Because privacy is such a sensitive topic when it comes to products such as phones and computers where people expect their personal information to be safe, Apple’s lengthy response time comes off asbeing uncaring. As a consumer, I believe we cannot let companies get away with hiding these types of facts from us. When you think about everything you keep on these devices such as addresses, emails, and even banking related codes and information, it becomes obvious why there has been such a strong reaction to this tracking and data collection issue. Besides those, however, the shear disregard for personal privacy understandably angers the consumers who have committed to supporting Apple through purchasing their products. Going forward Apple must show empathy for the issues that came about due to this location tracking scandal and be more committed in the future about offering clear and prompt explanations to its consumers.

http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/27/apple-location-response/