Over-sharing and Location Awareness. The following is a guest blog post provided by Frank Groeneveld, Barry Borsboom and Boy van Amstel. They are the creators of PleaseRobMe.com, a website that uses Twitter's search functionality to show location-based messages. Their goal is to raise awareness about the potential risks of location-awareness and over-sharing.
The opinions here are theirs only and do not necessarily represent those of CDT. Over the last few years the consensus about privacy on the Internet seems to have changed a lot. A few years ago, people were still hesitant about using their real names online, but nowadays people are comfortable sharing their exact location with the whole world. Where does this change in consensus come from? The issue with location-based information is that it exposes another layer of personal information that, frankly, we haven't had to think much about: our exact physical location at anytime, anywhere. Social networks have increased enormously in size and number. On Locational Privacy, and How to Avoid Losing it Forever. August 2009 By Andrew J. Blumberg and Peter Eckersley, August 2009 Over the next decade, systems which create and store digital records of people's movements through public space will be woven inextricably into the fabric of everyday life.
We are already starting to see such systems now, and there will be many more in the near future. Here are some examples you might already have used or read about: Monthly transit swipe-cards Electronic tolling devices (FastTrak, EZpass, congestion pricing) Cellphones Services telling you when your friends are nearby Searches on your PDA for services and businesses near your current location Free Wi-Fi with ads for businesses near the network access point you're using Electronic swipe cards for doors Parking meters you can call to add money to, and which send you a text message when your time is running out Unfortunately, these systems pose a dramatic threat to locational privacy.
What is "locational privacy"? Did you go to an anti-war rally on Tuesday?
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