Finns To Use Cell Phones To Monitor Traffic Jams

Okko writes "The Finnish Road Administration announced it is going to use cellphone location data to find out about traffic jams. They say they are using the location data available from the GSM base stations to determine the locations and speeds of vehicles carrying mobile phones. The information will be used to inform people about traffic jams and peaks in traffic trough public FM radio stations. Until now, the information about traffic has been gathered using car sensors embedded in the roads. The spokesperson of FRA, interviewed in the evening news of MTV3 Finland, seemed very pleased they can monitor cell phones even when no calls are made, it is enough the phone has power on. They said they are about to use the information anonymously and thought people approve it as long as it is done in an anonymous and "everyone-wins" way. It was told they do not currently tell the police about the data they discover as the current law forbids this. So, it is not, at least yet, possible to fine people carrying mobile phones in their cars too fast on public roads (exceeding the speed limit of the road). Unfortunately, probably because of vacations, FRA has not updated their website accordingly yet. There does exist an annoucement about testing the technology from the summer. "

Comments

first scotts, now finns

[kousik]

Another slashdot story was flashed a while back (13/06/02), but that was pertaining to Scottish company.

Re:So you've decided to live off the grid

[anarchima]

You can't get traced if you use cash - as in bills and coins - however, you can get traced, and quite easily, if you use a credit card. There's a big difference. And I think this _is_ worrying, "even if you don't have anything to hide".

Similar story

[Koyaanisqatsi]

This is not a dupe (hey, not yet ;) but a similar story was reported a while back. Here is the magic link.

The linked BBC article on the story is in English too.

Re:multiple cell phones - traffic jam?

[japa]

If you have several cars with 4 people in it, all having there cell phone turned on, then it might look like a traffic jam, or at least very condensed traffic, but it might not be the case.

They measure how long it takes for a random cell phone to get from point A to point B. So they don't actually measure the cell phone density, but what's the average speed of "cell phone mass". When traffic increases close to jam levels, speeds go down..

Re:just Great.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep. At least here in Finland you have to record vehicle speed, stops and taken pauses with special device if you use a truck commercially. The police can fine you for not taking long enough pauses (since that's what they monitor with the system). However they also see when you have driven too fast (speed limit for trucks is 80 km/h, if you go faster than that you are always speeding) and they CAN'T fine you even though the device is delicate, once-a-year calibrated, and can be used to investigate speeds in accidents with unbelievable accuracy (given that it merely draws a line in a paper).

So it's very unlikely that in Finland cell-phone tracking could be used when fining people for speeding. Serious crimes are a different story.

Old news actually

[Anonymous Coward]

Check out the date: 18.6.2002.

The press release talks about monitoring traffic jams on highways. Thus several phones in single car won't make a difference, since dozens of cars will pass checkpoints every minute.

Privacy isn't an issue here. Finland has very strict privacy laws and this system is designed with privacy in mind: System assing different (changing) codes to the each cell phone and it only tracks when code X pass through the checkpoints.

It is also illegal for operators to give information about calls to the police, unless owner is suspected of very severe crime.