Verizon To End Location Data Sales To Brokers (apnews.com) 27
Verizon is pledging to stop sales through intermediaries of data that pinpoints the location of mobile phones to outside companies, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. From the report: It is the first major U.S. wireless carrier to step back from a business practice that has drawn criticism for endangering privacy. The data has allowed outsiders to track wireless devices without their owners' knowledge or consent. Verizon, the nation's largest mobile carrier measured by subscribers, said that about 75 companies have obtained its customer data from two little-known California-based brokers that it supplies directly -- LocationSmart and Zumigo. The company made its disclosure in a letter to Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who has been probing the phone location-tracking market. Last month, Wyden revealed abuses in the lucrative but loosely regulated field involving Securus Technologies and its affiliate 3C Interactive. Verizon says their contract was approved only for the location tracking of outside mobile phones called by prison inmates. After a thorough review of its program, Verizon notified LocationSmart and Zumigo, both privately held, that it intends to "terminate their ability to access and use our customers' location data as soon as possible," wrote Verizon's chief privacy officer, Karen Zacharia.
Why is this so complicated? (Score:5, Insightful)
If your neighbor took it upon himself to track your movements, record who you interact with, mine your personal communications, etc, etc, he would be prosecuted for stalking.
Why is it different when a corporation does this?
Re: (Score:1)
Why is it different when a corporation does this?
That's the point, it isn't. Verizon sold access to location information for a very specific usage. While some may have suspected it was being used beyond that, there was no hard admission of contract violation until now. Now they are no longer doing business with those companies.
Whether Verizon agrees to some future contract without the restriction in data, enforces the restriction server-side, or never sells any form of tracking in the future is where the test really matters.
Re: (Score:1)
because you pay them to do it
Specious claimed "legitimate use" for PR? (Score:2)
Verizon says their contract was approved only for the location tracking of outside mobile phones called by prison inmates.
If that was truly the case, then shouldn't Verizon have detected them retrieving such a MASSIVE amount of location data for OTHER device IDs
90% of which probably never connected from anywhere near a prison?
Verizon backing off now reduces damage but DOESNT make up for the past abuse. For this level of privacy invasion.... executive managers of the involved Telcos sho
re: Verizon To End Location Data Sales To Brokers (Score:5, Interesting)
...Only because Verizon plans to sell other more profitable yet, incompatible revenue sources in the future.
The Verizon Corporation didn't suddenly realize morals or ethics.
No more brokers (Score:5, Insightful)
Verizon wants to cut out the middle man and sell directly to whomever wants it. More profit for Verizon.
Thanks Europe (Score:4, Insightful)
Thanks to the european law about protection of personal data.
Same for other carriers. (Score:2)
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