San Francisco – Apple (NASD: AAPL) has applied for a patent on technology
that could be used to kill iPhones that have been "jailbroken" so
they can run unauthorized software, CNET News.com reported.
News of the patent
application, which was filed in early 2009 and published last week, comes after
the U.S. Copyright Office deemed jailbreaking to be legal.
The technology
described in the proposed "Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized
Users of an Electronic Device" patent can identify activities such as
"hacking, jailbreaking, unlocking, or removal of a SIM card," and
take actions such as geotag the device’s location, or snap a photo of its
surroundings and current user.
If an unauthorized user is identified, "access
to particular applications can be restricted, access to sensitive information
can be restricted, [and] sensitive information can be erased from the
electronic device," the patent application states.
Related Links:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20014356-37.html
http://tinyurl.com/28wuo2g
(DMW previous coverage)
If you want to believe apple’s pr department that the intent of this is to “only” diabled jailbroken phones then you go right ahead and think that. But as someone in the know and who was part of the design team until I voiced disent I can tell you that is incorrect. This is meant to do sooo much more. This will allow apple and its partners to track users and monitor users. It will also allow the government to track and monitor users “without” permission. George Orwell’s 1984 was nothing compared to where this will be going.
You have been warned.
Mark my words..