Expert: iPhone regularly snaps screenshots of your activities
Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:18PM EDT
See Comments (8)
You know the cool animation on the iPhone that makes your current screen—say, your e-mail or the Web browser—shrink and disappear when you hit the Home button? Turns out that shrinking image is actually a screenshot—and it's recoverable, if you have the know-how.
Indeed, Zdziarski claimed during the Webcast that investigators had already used the hidden screenshots (which are stored in a temporary cache) to bust accused rapists, murderers, and drug dealers, according to the Wired story. It's not an easy process, apparently—it's not like the screenshots are sitting right there in your iPhone's photo album—but if you know what you're doing, Zdziarski said, it can be done.
Oh, and if you think plugging the secret screenshot hole will keep all your iPhone activities private, think again. Zdziarski warns in his Webcast that forensics experts have had no trouble digging treasure troves of information from the iPhone's keyboard, Safari, and Google Maps caches, not to mention those deleted-but-not-really e-mail messages and photos.
Now, to be totally fair here, it's not like the iPhone is the only smartphone with potential privacy leaks. Give a BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, or Symbian handset—heck, even your old RAZR—to an ace investigator, they'll show you exactly what you've been up to on your phone, down to the last keystroke.
In any case, the iPhone's "secret screenshot" feature is yet another reminder of why it's so important to wipe your iPhone—or any smartphone with sensitive information, for that matter—before you put it on eBay.
iPhones with firmware 2.0 or later have a built-in secure erase feature; just go to Settings, General, Reset, and tap the "Erase All Content and Settings" button (the process takes about an hour). If you're really paranoid, you can also try this hack by Zdziarski himself.
So, what do you think—creeped out by all the hidden screenshots on your iPhone? Should Apple give us the option of disabling the Home button animation? Or is this a tempest in a teapot?
Related:
IPhone Takes Screenshots of Everything You Do [Wired]
Comments on Expert: iPhone regularly snaps screenshots of your activities
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2 Posted by sgrmba on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:14PM EDT Report Abuse
I agree that it is highly unlikely that it has been used to capture a variety of criminals and that would be all over the news. Also, those 'shrinking images' are an imitation of what happens on a Mac when you don't close the app. Maybe it is just a really sneaky way of slowing introducing the 'Mac way'.
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3 Posted by n2dabloo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:32PM EDT Report Abuse
If you wear your little aluminum hat like you're supposed to this won't happen, lol. This sounds like sensationalism at it's finest.
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4 Posted by bryan.holliday on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:14PM EDT Report Abuse
I hate to say it but what is secure now days? Everything we do on our PC's, Mac's...heck even our cable TV habits can be monitored. It's a non-issue for me since I give's a rat's patootie if some snooper sees that I play WOW, searched google maps for a strip bar or downloaded some lame song. But...if the data can be used to put a perv or murderer behind bars I sort think it's a good thing. I know privacy advocates will scream about things like this but it's the old adage here, 'if you do nothing wrong what do you have to worry about?'
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5 Posted by tehawsomeness on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:59PM EDT Report Abuse
if you are not doing anything wrong then what's the problem?
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6 Posted by e1v1ail on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:50PM EDT Report Abuse
Highly unlikely? whats wrong with you people don't you understand that we have NO civil rights anymore. Have non of you bothered to see exactly what information our government is "entitled" to under the patriot act?
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7 Posted by g_tagni on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:15PM EDT Report Abuse
an it is even worse. In the nokia's phone when you press call it makes a parallel secret call to a starbucks an orders 100 coffee for you and charges it automatically to your credit card. give me a break. it is just a bunch of conspiracy theories!! it is amazing how many people in this world are doing nothing. invest you time in sth good for society and let the companies run their business.
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8 Posted by rivashugo@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:42PM EDT Report Abuse
@bryanH: It's not that you have nothing to "worry about" if you're not doing anything wrong, it's that the facts can be misconstrued into something evil. "Looking for stip joints? Obviously he has a sexual pathology." "Downloaded a song? RIAA will be on you in a sec." Would you like the local authorities knowing the frequency and duration of your masturbation habits? Nothing wrong with it. But it leaves a horrible feeling knowing that all your doings are out there for the world to see/know/judge. @e1v1: Don't be so exaggerated. We have civil rights, it's just that the goofy GOP is so paranoid, they're trying to take as many away as fast as possible. relax...
1 Posted by jseyfield on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:43PM EDT Report Abuse
"that investigators had already used the hidden screenshots to bust accused rapists, murderers, and drug dealers" I don't believe this. It seems illegal first of all and secondly you'd think something like that would've gotten some major media attention. The iPhone could sneeze and everyone would do an article on it.