[LINK] PI discovers flaw in Google phone tracking system

[Stilgherrian]

On 06/02/2009, at 12:58 PM, Richard Chirgwin wrote:
> You're probably a special case in general, Stil; at the very least,  
> your
> consent to publish location information can be regarded as an informed
> consent.
>
> I don't think this will be the case for most Latitude users. They will
> do so as followers of a cargo cult, without thinking much about either
> the T&Cs, or the implications of the constantly-published location.

All this is perhaps true. I'm definitely ALWAYS up one end or other of  
the bell curve, in almost every aspect of my life.

I was reacting to the ides (from Simon Davies) that this is a new  
security/privacy threat when in fact it's an existing threat which has  
just gained prominence.

Now that I reflect upon it some more, I think the approach shouldn't  
be to bemoan "Oh noes, Teh Googles haz stolen my privates!" -- because  
quite frankly that genie is already so far out of the bottle that it's  
looking a lot like last century's battle -- but to figure out what the  
new rules are in what some author called "the glass society".

For example, Google Latitude can't know where you are if you have he  
GPS turned off. And no-one can install software in your phone if you  
don't leave it unattended, or if it's password-protected, or if  
[insert standard security warnings that apply to any computer].

Oh, that's failed in every round of computer tech too.

Did I mention that I put m location on a map on the Internet...? ;)  
t's cool.

Oh well...

Stil



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