That's how the iOS core location API works (and it has been this way since iOS 5 atleast, if not earlier).<p>In particular, there is a |startMonitoringSignificantLocationChanges| method (<a href="https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/CoreLocation/Reference/CLLocationManager_Class/CLLocationManager/CLLocationManager.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/CLLocationManager/startMonitoringSignificantLocationChanges" rel="nofollow">https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/CoreLo...</a>), which "callbacks" into apps that have registered with the Core Location framework for significant change updates. The update is provided generally only when cell towers change, so it is not a battery drain (or not a significant one). Hence, your mobile operator definitely has this data, and is most likely already tracking it and/or piping it to the NSA etc.<p>Significant change monitoring is used by Google Now among other apps (I believe Facebook also does this, I find that more sneaky since they have no obvious need for it). Google Maps <i>navigation</i> does not use this, since it needs more granular and accurate data hence it uses the more battery-intensive location APIs.<p>If the complaint is that it's okay for Apple to collect this data for apps to use, but there is no need to log it, especially since the user might choose to not allow any apps to access their location data, then that's a fair point. I don't know if iOS shows these logs only on the beta versions, or whether they are stored persistently on release versions as well.<p>Source: I am a iOS dev, and have built location based apps.