[Slashdot] - Apple Opens Access To Mobility Data, Offering Insight Into How COVID-19 is Changing Cities

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Apple is providing a data set derived from aggregated, anonymized information taken from users of its Maps navigational app, the company announced today. From a report: The data is collected as a set of "Mobility Trends Reports," which are updated daily and provide a look at the change in the number of routing requests made within the Maps app, which is the default routing app on iPhones, for three modes of transportation, including driving, walking and transit. Apple is quick to note that this information isn't tied to any individuals, as Maps does not associate any mobility data with a user's Apple ID, nor does it maintain any history of where people have been. In fact, Apple notes that all data collected by maps, including search terms and specific routing, is only ever tied to random rotating identifying numbers that are reset on a rolling basis.

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