Report: iPhone and iPad store user location data

Apple's iPhone and 3G iPads store comprehensive data on the position of the device in a hidden file, according to a report from two British researchers on Wednesday.

Researchers Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan said they stumbled across a hidden file in Apple's iOS 4 that stores a long list of the device's location with time stamps.

"We're not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it's clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations," Allan wrote.

The pair have created an app that allows users to view a visualization of their own location data.

The news may pique the interest of Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), who wrote to Apple last year regarding reports the firm was sharing geographic data on iPhone users.