There is nothing to worry about. That's what AT&T says about some reports that surfaced this morning through Apple's user forums.
Some users were experiencing frightening amounts of data usage that would occur overnight. One user posted a screenshot of his account usage during the early morning hours, and it was up at about 75MB. Of course there were concerns raised: Does the user have to pay for this usage? Is Apple or AT&T collecting my information?
According to AT&T's official statement, there are no major uploads or downloads happening. They are simply running routine maintenance that ensures that your data usage is recorded correctly:
This is a routine update of your daily data activity on your device to ensure the accuracy of your data billing. Customers are not charged for data usage, given that no data session is generated. It's not uncommon for devices that are ‘always on', like iPhone, to process data event records for billing purposes after a certain amount of inactivity or after long periods of time. It's also separate from how our system lets you monitor your data consumption.
Let's just say it's your iPhone reporting its daily activities to mothership, but it's important to know that AT&T is not sucking 75MB of data from your phone every night. Users are not paying for that data.
Have a look at the usage:
06/04 01:22 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 3368KB
06/03 01:45 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 18906KB 06/02 01:45 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 6878KB 06/01 01:45 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 9460KB 05/31 07:45 PM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 1918KB 05/31 01:27 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 7551KB 05/30 02:27 PM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 1224KB 05/30 01:17 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 2685KB 05/29 01:39 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 8120KB 05/28 01:39 PM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 5410KB 05/28 01:07 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 5068KB 05/27 10:42 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 21778KB 05/27 01:06 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 10419KB 05/26 09:26 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 20657KB 05/26 01:50 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 8467KB 05/25 02:21 PM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 18086KB 05/25 01:25 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 5249KB 05/24 01:25 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 1012KB 05/23 01:25 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 12978KB 05/22 01:25 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 9749KB 05/21 01:41 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 19166KB 05/20 01:17 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 23860KB 05/18 11:56 PM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 15440KB 05/18 01:06 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 29900KB 05/17 01:12 AM phone Internet/MEdia Net Sent 75336KB
In other words, on May, 17, the owner used up 75MB of data throughout the day. At 1:12 AM the phone reported the usage to A&T. [via Gizmodo and Apple User Forums]
EXACTivity Health Activity Tracker in Your Pocket
ExacTimer - Reach Strength, Health and Bodyweight Goals
Accessories & Apps: Beta Testers Wanted
iOS Firmware/IPSW Download Guide
Legacy iTunes Download Archive
App Store Top Charts
iPhone and Android Resale Value Charts
USA iPhone Carrier Plans Compared
Complete iPhone Jailbreaking Guide 
Complete iPhone Specification Matrix 
http://www.everythingicafe.com/iphone-users-experience-late-night-data-usage/2010/06/09/
unhappy September 18, 2010 at 11:07 am
Hey all, I stumbled across this forum after getting messages from ATT in three successive days telling me I had chewed through 200Mb and they were charging me $15 each. Well, I was pretty surprised to say the least because I don’t use data in a big way and I certainly don’t do a lot of 3G activity as I am at home or school all day and evening and thus constantly surrounded by WiFi.
So, naturally I called customer service, who let me know about the odd data patterns happening at 2am and often amounting to 30 MEG or more. This is happening daily.
Customer service offered me a $15 credit and sugested I go to the 2Gb data plan that was now discounted due to the $15 credit to a ‘mere’ $10 more. This month.
I wasn’t very satisfied but considering that at that time I thought it might have been a rogue app I said ok and went on my way. As I kept reading this forum (and many others) I grew more upset and curious. By the time I got home, I received yet another notice that I had run out of data. FOUR in the same day all due to ATT misunderstanding their own information about the plan I was on and how much data I had used.
I called Customer service, they put me on to Tech Support and there I was in conversation for 3 HOURS and TWENTY MINUTES during this conversation they suggested that I should put my phone in airplane mode every night, then got Apple Tech on the conference call.
We both waited ten minutes on hold there and finally got an Apple tech who had not heard of this problem before, but suggested that doing a restore might help. I politely asked to speak to someone who had heard of this problem before and he got really pissy with me. Finallt he transferred us to David, his supervisor who said he was familiar with this probem and here is whae we discovered….
(This is straight from a person who ATT tech support called and called himself a supervisor for Apple tech support)
Every iPhone 4 sends data to ATT every night at 2am. We are not supposed to be charged for this, but somehow that data bit is getting missed that flags this traffic as ATT initiated data.
The phone is using the 3G network by default because this is information going straight to ATT’s databank.
—————– /:
Well…. somehow through a billing snafu we discover that your phone is waking up at 2am and sending ATT information about everything that happened during the day on your new miracle phone.
I wonder if the size of this data dump is commensurate with the amount of data you used on WiFi… ? Is ATT collecting a copy of everything that you do? Do they share that with Apple? (I can’t see how they WOULDN’T have some such agreement)
The thing that really creeps me out is the possibility that your privacy is protected when you get IP traffic through a server but NOT protected once that data is ON the iPhone. Even if you opt-out of the stats transmittal on the phone, there is nothing preventing ATT from collecting everything you do.
The first part of my conversation with ATT tech support, she kept saying that the phone was “synchronizing”.
I can’t see why in the world ATT would need to have my personal phone use and have the actual data copied that I used.
IF this is an ‘aggregate’ notification of the traffic I used on 3G throughout the day then all that would be required is a simple data bit telling ATT how much data I used off their network. BUT ATT DOESN”T NEED MY PHONE TO KNOW WHAT I DID BECAUSE THEY OWN THE NETWORK MY DATA WENT ON.
Added to the many people here who post big downloads on days when they have not used the phone, we get a disturbing picture of the real truth here.
I’m quite sure ATT is not allowed to copy, intercept or trap your IP activity when is passes through their servers, without a Warrant.
I’m also quite sure Apple clearly tells you they will collect data about your usage whether you like it or not.
What I have not read anywhere, or agreed to, is ATT clandestinely collecting that data in the middle of the night and providing it to Apple or using it themselves.
I am the paying customer being challenged by a monopoly in a way that I cannot protect my own security and privacy.
I’m posting this everywhere I can.