The Circuit: iPhone data; AT&T, T-Mobile file with FCC; Samsung fires back at Apple

LEADING THE DAY: Google’s Android platform and Apple’s iOS are both sending location data back to the companies, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Analysis from security analyst Samy Kamkar found that an Android phone transmitted a unique phone identifier back to Google along with location data. The Journal also revisited documents Apple sent to Congress last year, which said the company collects location information for location-based services.

Apple is facing concerns from lawmakers and consumers over an unencrypted filed that collects time-stamped location data. It does not appear that this information is transmitted off of user devices, but the unprotected file could pose security problems in the wrong hands.

AT&T, T-Mobile file with FCC: AT&T and T-Mobile made a case for their proposed merger by talking up the competition after filing paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday.

Joan Marsh, an AT&T vice president focusing on federal regulatory affairs, said that the mobile market is competitive and that AT&T and T-Mobile both face serious spectrum issues that the merger could address. Smaller cellular companies and consumer advocates released statements Thursday in the wake of the filing, voicing antitrust concerns.

Samsung fires back: Answering Apple’s lawsuit, Samsung filed three of its own Friday morning in Germany, Korea and Japan. According to Reuters, the suits involve 10 Samsung patents involving wireless data communication and data transmission.

Apple filed a suit against Samsung on Monday, alleging that the Korean manufacturer’s Galaxy line of devices copy the Apple iPhone and iPad.

Groupon hires Google VP to be COO: Groupon has hired away Margo Georgiadis, formerly Google’s VP of Global Sales, to be its new COO. According to All Things Digital, Georgiadis will oversee Groupon’s global sales, marketing and operations.

Online poker players to get refunds: The Justice Department said that online poker players will be able to receive refunds from the major poker sites it shut down last week, the Associated Press reported. The government seized three major poker sites — Poker Stars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker — last Friday and charged their executives with bank fraud and illegal gambling.