How aggressive is Waze’s monitoring of my out-of-app online activities? The TOS/privacy policy is really remarkably vague about this, and a cynical reading of it would appear to cover Waze’s monitoring – even when I’m not using its application – of websites I might visit; text messages, emails, etc., that I exchange with friends or family; etc.
How hard would it be for the company to have specified in its privacy policy that it might record information like this that is generated or received inside its app only? If I get a text message from my wife or an email from my boss during my commute, is Waze capturing these to its servers?
“… Waze may record the frequency and scope of your use of the Services, the duration of your sessions, the web pages that you visit, information that you read, content that you use or create, advertisements that you view or click on, your communications with other users and third parties, the Internet protocol (IP) address and the name of the domain that serve you to access the Services, and the geographic location of the computer system that you are using to log-in. Such data is usually automatically collected and stored in log files of the Services’ computer servers.”
I don’t think so. Looking at Facebook’s “data use policy,” Twitter’s privacy policy and others (even Google’s), I don’t see anything written nearly as ambiguously as parts of Waze’s policy.
I understand that the premise and value of a free service like this depends on a user giving up some privacy interests in their data such as GPS coordinates, calculated travel speed, etc., even though continuously updated location-based data is among the most privacy-sensitive category of data (“… The content that you submit is neither private nor confidential and you should not have any expectation of privacy with respect to it.”)
But Waze includes this other language under “Meta-data that we collect,” which should really be troubling to its users at least unless/until someone from the company explains more precisely what it means: “Waze may record … the web pages that you visit, information that you read, content that you use or create, advertisements that you view or click on, your communications with other users and third parties… Such data is usually automatically collected and stored in log files of the Services’ computer servers.”
How can Waze be recording what web pages I visit or recording any of my communications except for the ping and chit-chat messages that are being generated within its application? I just want someone from the company to clarify this, or someone to explain credibly and convincingly whether this would be technically impossible under Apple’s programming standards.
Where you came from - The HTTP Headers automatically pass referrer info (i.e. you click a link from a Google Search that sends you to Waze - Waze knows you came from Google)…
How long you spent at a website (duration of session)
What you post in the forum (including PMs) or submit to support (communications with other users and third parties)
Your home IP address (or that of your ISP) so they know where to send the info (webpage) you request, the ISP domain name assigned to that IP address, and Geolocation of IP addresses is public info - It won’t narrow down to your house, but it will give the city name… (Check out http://www.geobytes.com/iplocator.htm)
But in truth, Waze wants to know everything about you, your family, your dog and your cat. They are selling the information to the infamous Argentine Mafia to fund the service.
Oh and they skim all those extra half and quarter cent’s from all your Amazon purchases and use them to buy Ferrari’s for the employees.
Andy and Jason are both right, and besides what do you expect for free? Google provides some great services for free, they just data mine every thing you do, and feed your relevant advertisements in return. Do you expect any less in return for the great free app Waze provides?
I believe the TOS when you first activate any iOS device gives Apple the rights to your body when you die (or by other means if they decide they need it sooner). I mean, seriously…they monitor your breathing rate when you sleep.
I just wear a special tinfoil hat that I bought from Amazon.com whenever I turn on my iPhone and I don’t have to worry about such foolishness.
Seriously, Waze is so overwhelmed just staying on top of its GPS data and navigation, I have zero concern that it is doing data mining or “espionage” of any kind on the side.
…unless that’s why they’re so far behind on the GPS/nav stuff…
@ troubler22 - Waze can only view such information during the activation of the application and while the app is closed or not active, there is no way I am familiar with (nor does Waze attempt) to read emails, SMSs or view web pages you are visiting.
The information referred to, that is collected within the app, is used for analytics and the web pages referred to are those that are shown within Waze (such as in the Ad pop-ups, scoreboard, etc…). Regarding content used or created, it is also that content that is generated or used within Waze.
Hope that alleviates the concerns.
