When the Phone Goes With You, Everyone Else Can Tag Along

ACM TechNews says that while the launch of the 3G iPhone emphasizes the increasing sophistication of the cellphone and mobile device industries, it also generates some privacy concerns.

The iPhone blends GPS functions with the Internet to create a capability that not only pinpoints location, but displays nearby attractions. This feature could help merchants target ads, insurance adjusters calibrate premiums, or parents keep track of children. What also results from this features is that the consumer is sharing that information with network providers, social Web sites, law enforcement and/or others that have the potential of tracking everywhere they have been.

"There's a disconnect between our expectations of when we will be observed and who will be observing us and how that information will be used and what the technology is allowing companies to do," says University of Southern California law professor Jennifer Urban.

The big issues are transparency and user control, said James X. Dempsey of the Center for Democracy and Technology.

"How easy is it for the user to turn the location function on and off, and how easy it is for the user to delete past location information?" he said. "What are the companies collecting? Who are they sharing it with? How long do they store it? And what control does the consumer have over the information? These are the fundamental questions."

See full article at washingtonpost.com.