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Privacy Group Calls Google Latitude a Real 'Danger'
CWmike writes "Privacy International is calling Google's new mapping application an 'unnecessary danger' to users' security and privacy. The criticism follows the unveiling this week of Google Latitude, an upgrade to Google Maps that allows people to track the exact location of friends or family through their mobile devices. Google Latitude not only shows the location of friends, but it can also be used to contact them via SMS, Google Talk or Gmail. 'Many people will see Latitude as a cool product, but the reality is that Google has yet again failed to deliver strong privacy and security,' said Simon Davies, director of London-based Privacy International, in a statement. The group's chief concern is that Google Latitude lacks sufficient safeguards to keep someone from surreptitiously opting into the tracking feature on someone else's device."
It's a rule. Whenever a change in the status quo is suggested people immediately jump to the most negative conclusions.
I remember, many years ago, my all knowing government banned "reverse lookup" electronic phone books, unless they had some restrictions in the code. Later, the products fells off the market as they were no longer useful. Before then, one could lookup the telephone number of their neighbor and give them a call if the "music" spewing out of their place at 3am was a bit loud. Now you just call the police or, gulp, go over there.
How we know is more important than what we know.
How someone knowing where I am is particularly dangerous for me if I'm not in the witness protection program? If they're going to do anything worse than a drive-by waterballoon then chances are they wouldn't bother with latitude and just WATCH ME.
We've all said it before: obscurity is not security.
A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."
But the people who would use this probably don't care about these things anyway. Or if they do, they'll turn off their phone.
I'm hoping that this is some sort of software that you'd install on the device (an app for iPhone, a java applet for most other things, etc). What other method does Google have to get the information? I'm assuming that the Latitude server is talking to some software on the device that can retrieve the relevant location data. I can see people writing modified versions of the Google software that *hides* and can be used as a covert tracking device, without the bother of contacting the person's cell provider. Frankly, the whole thing bothers me too, and not just in that theoretical kind of way that DRM does...
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Hold on, I'm working on tin foil case for my cell phone!
If you're concerned about people doing things on your X, don't let them use your X.
Where X is:
Pretty basic trust issues here, folks. If you don't trust someone, don't let them use your stuff.
If I understand TFA correctly, if someone else gains access to your phone and your google login, they can activate Latitude and use it to track you.
Their interpretation of that is: Latitude is dangerous. I'd interpret it as giving others access to your hardware and your account is dangerous.
But that's why I'm just a computer geek and they're a multi-national organization.
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
I too think they are three marbles short. But I think the idea they are attempting to get across is less, "if we can get access to your phone, we can pwnt you." as it is "we think Google's made it so people other than those you've authorized can snoop that data once you've made it avaliable."
Not quite as hairbrained, but still rather "Get off my lawn"-ish given this group hasn't provided a wit of evidence that something like that can happen.
Oh, and I am a boring person. Anyone that knows me pretty much knows where I am at any moment. So realistically, it doesn't matter.
I just don't want to be tracked.
up with
plus a little hacking and amaze your friends and family as you wander along the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
think of the children?
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
So far as I can tell, Latitude is no different from Buddy Beacon, Loopt, Whrrl, or any of a dozen other GPS-enabled "social networking" apps that'll happily send out your location to whomever you allow. But Latitude, specifically, and apparently only Latitude, is evil and dangerous.
I know hating on Google is the trendy thing these days, but come on.
cya,
john
Imagine all the people...
Im getting really sick and tired of SMS becoming a requirement to operate. I DO NOT like the fact that either I get charged for incoming texts, or pay a blanket monthly fee. INCOMING TEXT SHOULD BE FREE, or at least allow me to comfirm/deny. As it is now I have SMS completely turned off.
Good-bye
Nope. This is what I thought, at first. It actually works even when you're not in the map, just without GPS.
It only can use radio tower location/signal strength when not in the map application. Humorously enough,
the only time it doesn't work is when you are speaking on the phone, and in a non-3G/non-WiFi area
(because it can't transmit your location over the net).