Yesterday security researcher Brian Krebs discovered that his iPhone 11 Pro collected location data even if the toggle was turned off. Now Apple has issued a longer explanation (via TechCrunch).
Location Collection
Although Apple told Mr. Krebs it was “expected behavior” today the company offered a bit more clarification:
Ultra wideband technology is an industry standard technology and is subject to international regulatory requirements that require it to be turned off in certain locations. iOS uses Location Services to help determine if iPhone is in these prohibited locations in order to disable ultra wideband and comply with regulations.
The management of ultra wideband compliance and its use of location data is done entirely on the device and Apple is not collecting user location data.
All of the iPhone 11 models have ultra wideband (UWB) chips to give iPhones more spatial awareness. So as it turns out, the situation is benign, although Apple could’ve offered an explanation after the release of the iPhone 11s.
Further Reading: