NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Google to offer opt-out from location services for Wi-Fi access points
Google to offer opt-out from location services for Wi-Fi access points
http://j.mp/q3jTdW (This message on Google+)
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http://j.mp/nQbHlr (Google European Public Policy Blog)
"Even though the wireless access point signals we use in our location
services don't identify people, we think we can go further in
protecting people's privacy. At the request of several European data
protection authorities, we are building an opt-out service that will
allow an access point owner to opt out from Google's location
services. Once opted out, our services will not use that access point
to determine users' locations.
We'll be making this opt-out available globally, and we'll release
more detailed information about it when it's ready to launch later
this autumn."
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I personally continue to feel that European regulators are in error by
treating *publicly broadcast* Wi-Fi beacons as some sort of private
data. After all, *anybody* driving by can (and many people do)
collect this location data -- there are myriad sites and programs
dedicated to this. However, Google should be applauded for offering
the opt-out for folks who are concerned. I might add that offhand, it
seems to me that the task of authenticating someone claiming to be the
operator of this-or-that Wi-Fi access point may be a nontrivial task,
if false opt-outs are to be avoided.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com