Always-on iPhone apps raise new promises, perils for location privacy

[Swede]

Lots of privacy questions arising with this new technology.



The other thorny issue around persistent location-tracking has to do with government intervention. Legally speaking, there isn’t a coherent standard that covers when mobile carriers and online services should hand over your location history to legal authorities. There are several rulings that lean toward requiring legal authorities to have search warrants in order to get tracking data from wireless carriers, but it isn’t codified. That’s the reason why about a dozen companies including Google and Microsoft banded together earlier this month to lobby the government to have this requirement explicitly written into the law. Big public companies like Google have developed a system over time for responding to government inquiries, but small-time developers probably haven’t.


http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/04/08/iphone-multitasking-location/

[hlthe2b]

1. My 3G/4g portable wifi devise

keeps sending me messages to enable location, in order to use GPS functions. No thanks....

[Swede]

2. Who wants to be potentially tracked 24/7?

Just cause you're paranoid........as the old saying goes.

[hlthe2b]

3. And do you...

think I am paranoid?

[Swede]

4. Of course not.

I was just throwing out the old line on paranoia.

[hlthe2b]

5. Just checking my own reactions....

It is tempting to give in to the best of new technology... Trying to find that fine line between protecting privacy and maximizing the benefits from these services is a challenge... ;)

[NYC Liberal]

6. I'm not worried at all about "always-on iPhone apps"

since it's very transparent. Government tracking without anyone knowing, without warrants is absolutely a big concern.

[frazzled]

7. I stopped being paranoid when ...

Andrew Cunanan went on a multi-state killing spree, and the police couldn't find him. He killed people in Minneapolis, and they couldn't find him. He killed someone in Chicago, they couldn't find him. He went to New Jersey, they couldn't find him. He hid in plain sight in Miami and killed Gianni Versace, and they couldn't find him, even though he pawned stuff that police should be checking. He had to shoot himself in the head to be found.

They are not looking for us. At least not if we don't commit a major crime. If you're planning on doing that, turn your GPS off. Otherwise, don't think the government cares about where you are. Chill.

I agree that they should have a law telling companies when they do and don't have to turn things over. That is their issue, and it should be codified and in line with the Constitution. But worried to use the i-Phone? I don't think so.