Apple argues that giving device makers a variety of options for GPS technologies makes it ‘more difficult for bad actors to exploit vulnerabilities.’ SpaceX agrees.
As the FCC explores GPS alternatives, Apple has told the US regulator to avoid mandating a specific provider, especially one that could collect location data and threaten user privacy.
In early March, the commission launched a formal inquiry into using «commercial technologies» to complement GPS, a decades-old satellite-driven technology from the Department of Defense. In a Tuesday letter to the FCC, Apple said it supports the development of «Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT)» technologies to supplement GPS, which has long been crucial for today’s online mapping services. But the company urges the FCC to keep things flexible, rather than forcing a single solution across the tech industry.
«The Commission should avoid rules and policies that effectively mandate the use of specific PNT technologies,” Apple says. “Similarly, FCC actions should not unnecessarily constrain the use of specific PNT technologies.”
The 17-page letter points out potential dangers with alternative GPS providers. For example, Apple says the FCC needs to ensure that each PNT solution uses the best security practices without imposing “form factor, power, or other constraints on smartphones.
