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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

This Apple Update Could Prove To Be A True Lifesaver [npr.org]

With about 80 percent [nena.org] of 911 calls made from mobile devices, it's sometimes difficult for emergency responders to pinpoint the location [npr.org] of those callers.

On Monday, Apple unveiled plans [apple.com] to work with 911 centers to automatically share the exact locations of iPhone users that need to call in an emergency.

Under a collaboration with startup company RapidSOS [rapidsos.com], Apple's current Hybridized Emergency Location system will integrate with 911 centers' existing software. Apple's system uses technology that estimates a phone's location with data from cell towers, GPS and Wi-Fi access points.

The update is expected to roll out later this year as part of iOS 12, the next version of Apple's mobile operating system. Google is testing a similar system [wsj.com] for Android-based phones.

Privacy concerns have been at the center of this sort of location sharing in the past [npr.org]. However, Apple said that with the new feature, "user data cannot be used for any non-emergency purpose and only the responding 911 center will have access to the user's location during an emergency call."

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