Big Brother and his eyes on your mobile phone
Will you be inviting Big Brother to your next barbie? This year, thousands of Australians may feel they are doing just that when friends, family or employers ask them to share their mobile GPS location.
A new generation of mobile phones capable of transmitting location data to other mobiles or internet devices is gearing up to serve the hungry youth market that demands to be in close contact with friends around the clock.
The technology also promises to make the world a safer place for families wanting some extra peace of mind when members are away from the nest. But as privacy advocates voice concern about potential misuse of the technology, service providers such as Vodafone are already putting the finishing touches on social networking applications to exploit it.
Vodafone’s beta launch of PocketLife last week brings a mainstream player to the field dominated in Australia by the MapMates service, which, like PocketLife is run on a strictly opt-in basis.
Users of both services must first accept one another as “mates” in order to view each other’s location on a website or phone and anyone can choose to become invisible to some or all of their contacts when they wish.
“GPS receivers are going to be as common as cameras in mobile phones within the next two years,” says Michael Robson, founder of MapMates.
Given the average frequency with which we change our phones, he predicts most of us will carry GPS-enabled handsets within three years.
Location service providers claim their services will enable more spontaneous interactions within social groups and bring peace of mind to families and their loved ones, but the sudden emergence of this technology also raises alarm bells about misuse by parents, partners or bosses.
Alongside the opt-in services from Vodafone and MapMates there has also been a proliferation of devices for amateur sleuthing that can covertly track locations, mobile phone conversations and text messages - all without a target’s knowledge.
Shane Johnson, spokesman for private investigation firm, Spouse Busters, says such tools have transformed investigation methods.
“In the old days of private investigation we had to follow people around, staying close enough to keep them in sight but hanging back to avoid detection. There was always a risk we could lose them,” he says.
But this has changed with the help of tools such as the Real Time GPS tracker (RRP $900) which can be placed in a vehicle to track its location, and mobile phone monitoring software ($1900) for recording location, phone calls and text messages. Both products are available through Spouse Busters, although Mr Johnson warns that phone monitoring software should not be used without the consent of the phone’s owner.
“This is a good example of technology for the future of legal processes. There still was not even discussion about the civil liberties implications of this new technology,” he said.
Hanno Blankenstein’s head of innovation at Vodafone Australia, said that with PocketLife it to the person to choose, and grouped his or her friends, and decide when and with whom to share their current location, beautiful photos and other personal information. ”
If you turn the phone’s location “invisible”, will be treated in a negative light, he said, people can always use the usual excuses: “I left the phone home”, or “the battery ran down, if they are to be offline, without offending their partners or family members. “I think people are very well aware of how they relate to privacy in the real world. This service will not be any change behavior,” he said.
But what about the consequences of forgetting to press “invisible” button, and accidentally advertise your location to co-workers during lunch time interview, or with a bunch of rowdy friends crash a romantic dinner for two?
By e-borders of Australia, the Australian group of Internet users interested in the person of the same pitfalls of social networking sites are likely to affect those who use the services of the location.
Geordie Guy, EFA representative said: “Increased commitment to the confidentiality of education, social networks and websites of organizations is that we would like to see, and call for her, it appears, starker, when the information that people are beginning to incorporate something like the exact current location by using GPS tracking. ”
The organization is also concerned about the safety aspect of security-oriented devices, such as being aimed at protecting children and other vulnerable groups.
Nu.M8, GPS-enabled watches announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month, aims to monitor children.
Users can create a virtual fence as a “safe zone” to be notified when the child moves outside, and they also warned if the device is removed. Currently available in the UK, the device can be sent to Australia in the next year or so.
While those who lost their child in a supermarket can breathe a sigh of relief, said Mr. Ki-safety issues are not so clear.
“This is about the imagined scenarios, such as a child to return home with a new friend gave them to watch ‘- GPS tracking devices placed on the child a person unknown to the parents, who now knows where the child is at all times.
“We are concerned that parents seem genuinely interested in placing the welfare of their children in the hands of the device, which is only capable of reporting on the whereabouts of these children, not their security … and only if the device is a tunnel without GPS reception, and only if the battery is not run flat. ”
Questions, no less difficult for the corporate sector. Tracking devices to monitor the movements of workers and equipment is becoming more prevalent with the employee safety is widely cited reason for deployment.
“The duty of care is set to become a major player in the deployment of GPS for people who work outside the office. If one of my installers of equipment out of driving, it is my duty to know where he is, and keep it safe,” says Richard Firth, Director-General of GPS monitoring, Ezy2c.
However, EFA considers the practice of tracking employees as “overreaching aberrations and violations of basic human rights to privacy.”
Thomas Graham Managing Director of business tracking suppliers GoFinder believes employers have the right to know what their employees before and even when the law allows, to keep track of employees without their knowledge.
“The law will not change in relation to track until someone can prove this terrible situation to be monitored,” he said.
“We are concerned that parents seem genuinely interested in placing the welfare of their children in the hands of the device, which is only capable of reporting on the whereabouts of these children, not their security … and only if the device is a tunnel without GPS reception, and only if the battery is not run flat. ”
Questions, no less difficult for the corporate sector. Tracking devices to monitor the movements of workers and equipment is becoming more prevalent with the employee safety is widely cited reason for deployment.
“The duty of care is set to become a major player in the deployment of GPS for people who work outside the office. If one of my installers of equipment out of driving, it is my duty to know where he is, and keep it safe,” says Richard Firth, Director-General of GPS monitoring, Ezy2c.
However, EFA considers the practice of tracking employees as “overreaching aberrations and violations of basic human rights to privacy.”
Thomas Graham Managing Director of business tracking suppliers GoFinder believes employers have the right to know what their employees before and even when the law allows, to keep track of employees without their knowledge.
“The law will not change in relation to track until someone can prove this terrible situation to be monitored,” he said.
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Tags: iPhone, mobile phone, phone
