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Google Android Privacy

Regulators Question Google Over Location Data (cnn.com) 19

Sherisse Pham and Taehoon Lee, writing for CNN Tech: Google is facing scrutiny for reportedly collecting data about the location of smartphone users without their knowledge. Regulators in South Korea summoned Google representatives this week to question them about a report that claimed the company was collecting data from Android devices even when location services were disabled. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) "is carrying out an inquiry into the claims that Google collected users' Cell ID data without consent even when their smartphone's location service was inactive," Chun Ji-hyun, head of KCC's privacy infringement division, told CNNMoney on Friday. U.K. data protection officials are also looking into the matter. "Organizations are required by law to be transparent with consumers about what they are doing with personal information," said a spokesperson for the Information Commissioner's Office. "We are aware of the reports about the tracking system and are in contact with Google."
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Regulators Question Google Over Location Data

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  • When will our regulators wake up?
    • Maybe if Net Neutrality in the US gets tanked, the internet will be too slow for this data to make its way back home.
    • by mikael ( 484 )

      When someone explains it to them in terms they can understand.

      1. Smartphones have more functionality and display systems more advanced that the UNIX workstations used back in the 1990's. Computing power; multi-core CPU's and GPU's able to run the same extensions as desktop GPU's/

      3. Modern day silicon chips make use of MEMS technology (Miniature Electromechanical Systems) that allow microscopic sensors to be built straight onto chip silicon; magnetometers, motion sensors. Even a GPS receiver can be put in th

  • Let me clarify that my fundamental position is that our personal information should belong to each of us. The default should be for private information to remain private, whereas the current laws are like "open season" for soulless corporations to hunt us to increase their profits, with a few small bribes kicked back to rich fools who imagine they have some power over their "pet" monsters. Having said that, I see no path towards positive change, so...

    Why can't we have some access to the information that is

    • To make the information usage less likely to be evil, you have to change the customer.

      What you're looking for is a Google service you'd pay for, where perhaps venues would also pay to be listed so that if you linger in them they'd be considered valid to bring to your attention again in the future. With a Google app on your mobile device to give a thumbs up or down, and a private/friends only/public option (with Google giving you a reduced service rate if you use 'public' so they can share the ratings with

      • by shanen ( 462549 )

        I very much agree with you. The economic model that I would advocate would involve such a radical reversal of the money model. If you want some new service or feature, you would have to join with other people to help fund it. If the service or feature incurred ongoing costs, for example by needing a server, then there would be a funding project for support of the ongoing costs, and if the project runs out of funding, it would become inactive until refunded.

        In philosophic terms, I'm arguing for cost recovery

        • I think such a business model could work, and actually start on a small scale and scale up as needed.

          Most of the time, you really only care about things in geographical proximity to you, so if your service starts out only handling one small or medium-sized city... OK, there's still utility there.

          You'd definitely operate at a loss while building your database (I think you'd have to give away the service for the first year or so), so a decent amount of startup funding would be required.

          But imagine the sales p

          • by shanen ( 462549 )

            Actually you reminded me of a different economic model that could be done as part of an alternative kind of email system. The email provider would also be offering privacy protection services coupled with more reliable personal information--because it was the information we had agreed to provide to support our OWN shopping plans. Contrast with the "ram it down your throat with fake desire" model of most of today's ads.

            The email provider would actually act as an auctioneer for our personal time. For example,

    • by mikael ( 484 )

      We have the Data Protection Act in the UK. Every individual has the right to request a copy of all the data any corporation or company holds about them. Failure to provide the data in the format requested within a fixed period of time or to confirm that the data doesn't exist, can lead to the company being fined.

      • by shanen ( 462549 )

        We have the Data Protection Act in the UK. Every individual has the right to request a copy of all the data any corporation or company holds about them. Failure to provide the data in the format requested within a fixed period of time or to confirm that the data doesn't exist, can lead to the company being fined.

        I like the idea very much. Now how can we avoid creating competitive disadvantage for countries that actually care so much about the rights of their citizens? [sarcasm]Dare I fear[/sarcasm] that some [tttwtanbtt]soulless corporate monsters[/tttwtanbtt] might flee such [sarcasm]onerous restrictions[/sarcasm] and race to the bottom in other less restrictive nations? I bet Russia has no such nuisance law.

  • But boy do you like Chrome, don't you? -Sent via Firefox
  • by Anonymous Coward

    a slap on the fingers and a stern telling-off, while they should've been fined in the billions for it. Why do you think they keep doing these things? Because you never teach them a lesson.

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