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EU Demands Explicit Geo-Location Permissions
judgecorp writes "Apple, Google and employers are already contravening new European Union rules that will require companies to get explicit permission from users before any geo-location data can be used to track them, whether for the purposes of targeted advertising or monitoring employee behavior. This could be the start of the next big privacy argument. The hopes of companies planning to use geo-location data to push products and services to mobile device users have taken a beating in the European Union, following a pronouncement from the European Data Protection Supervisor, Peter Hustinx."
Fantastic news. I just hope Congress here in the US will take note and do the same. But given that most of them are owned by Big Corporate, I doubt it. Sad how Senators and some House members aren't MEN at all - just puppets.
Congratulations to the EU on another fine consumer protection law. Well done!
because eu + legislation is bad, people in europe have higher health standards, quality standards, and standard of living than the rest of the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index
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Just because the EU wants to spy on its subjects doesn't mean they like companies doing the same.
I like the wording of that directive: "If telecom operators want to use base station data in order to supply a value-added service to a customer, according to the revised e-privacy directive they must obtain his or her prior consent. They must also make sure the customer is informed about the terms of such processing."
Not simply consent, but informed consent. Nice... it's going to be fun to see Google, Apple et.al. trying to explain to users with no grip on the technical side of things the how and why of geo-location. Still, I'm sure most of them will happily sign up for targeted advertisements if it means their favorite app still work...
Also I note that "Company Devices" can no longer be used for anything but tracking. This will mean that companies can no longer check if truck drivers follows the rules about rest periods, nor can they check to see if they are speeding... which might (probably will) lead to more tired truckers driving way to fast to meet deadlines. Unintended consequence, I hope.
Everything in the world is controlled by a small, evil group to which, unfortunately, no one you know belongs.
Any argument that this stifles innovation is invalid, if the product is good enough people will gladly share their geo location.
I for one will share my location with Google, as long as it promises to not share it with 3th parties.
Disclosure: I am dutch.
Hivemind harvest in progress..
"already contravening"? Does judgecorp work for a tabloid like the Sun? Try "The EU in creating new rules to cover a domain it had ignored up to now, has devised rules stricter than the current implementations in iPhones and Android". TFA Gives no information whether it is the on-device caching of geo-location information that is the problem or whether WinPhone7's PhoneHome behavior of the same info is also covered in the new rules.
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
When you install an Android app it asks for permission if it wants to use your location data. Isn't that exactly what they are asking for?
Android itself asks for permission the first time you use the phone.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
"require companies to get explicit permission" => yes, and so what ? the user will see a nice popup when starting the phone, and if he doesn't accept the terms and conditions, he won't be able to use the phone ? crap...
So I can withhold right for the government or CCTV operators to infringe my privacy? No? Well what's the point then? Concentrate on the big privacy infringements first. If targeting ads based on position without consent is unacceptable, then gathering personal data by the government, or videoing individuals without their knowledge is unacceptable. Ban these before your worry about ephemera.
I'm sure this was meant as a joke, but obviously you would pre-approve the "phone finder app" to always allow location requests. It's not like a GPS navigation app would ask to use your location every time it did a calculation to find out where you are.
When you install an Android app it asks for permission if it wants to use your location data. Isn't that exactly what they are asking for?
It's something, but it's not enough merely to say that it needs to access item X. The legislation requires that it also say what item X will be used for, and in an informative way. The consent given must be "specific and informed" in each case. Moreover, it was stated that "consent cannot be obtained freely through mandatory acceptance of general terms and conditions, nor through opt-out possibilities" which blows a hole in many of the current slimy practices involving EULAs and suchlike, or defaulting to opt-in.
Producing weasel words which look just enough like informing the customer, but without really doing so (or preferably cunningly misinforming or misleading the customer into complacency), is a skill which will likely be in greater demand.
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
Good move, EU. Now you just gotta repeal the data retention directive, and then you'll regain some credibility on privacy matters!
Stop the brainwash
I think this is going to get even more important with HMTL5 geolocation APIs. Have you ever tried them? They can give a web page a surprisingly accurate position of the visitor, who typically only has to click some kind of confirmation infobar. Useful, but creepy, too. (And they're surprisingly accurate even without GPS - I guess Android (or equivalent) phones do a very good job of sniffing WiFi access point positions and reporting them to Google (or equivalent)).
A private contract can't override a law.
What bothers me about all this (and a number of other such measures) is that it is Europe doing them, but not the United States.
Whatever became of the United States as a world leader in personal freedom and privacy? Not that I have anything against Europeans, but this illustrates just how far down we in the US have been dragged by corporate and government collaboration against The People. Which also goes by another name: fascism.
Now, it may not be fascism as extreme as Nazi Germany during WWII, but it is fascism nevertheless. And it needs to end.
Probably the quickest way to make a good start at doing that would be to elect Ron Paul in 2012.
(I fully expect to take some flak for that statement, but I really don't care.)
I like very common sense approaches to consumer protection, this seems like a good move. I am pro business (have MBA), but also recognize that part of governments job is to protect consumers from all out ruthlessness. How long before we can get this in the US?
This really is a bigger blow to Google than Apple. Apple is a hardware company, making software to complete the experience (and tidy profit). Google is in the business of selling information, and this hits them where it hurts. Google has been collecting and selling the location data from Android, Apple has been collecting it in a file and forgetting about it (until recent update that trims it). Although apps makers are another story.
I guess, the only way to repeal the data detention directive is some huge leak of such data to the public. Some hugely embarrassing data, if possible. Otherwise, there won't be enough political momentum because most people currently don't care (enough), or are even calling for even more data retention mania.
cpghost at Cordula's Web.
The user is giving permission to iOS built-in apps when they look at the terms and conditions of every iOS upgrade and when they turn location services on. You need location services on in order to use Google maps if you want to find your location on the map and you need it turned on in order for "Find my iPhone" service to work.
If you don't want location services, you can turn it off in the preferences but then you also lose the ability to find your device through the "Find my iPhone" service.
I've got a much better idea, quit your pimp or drug dealer job and you won't have to worry about being tracked because you won't be interesting enough for anyone to bother tracking you.
Speaking as an EU citizen, I don't want to see member states paying money for this sort of foolishness. Individual third party apps already have to request access to location services on iOS.
Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
The GP might have a point: The permission is based on the user, not on the device. A thief might *conceivably* have a case on the privacy issue.
Whether that would interfere with his arraignment on theft is another matter, though.
There's always Switzerland and Norway.
Norway's parliament has passed the Data Retention Directive. We are members of the European Economic Area and are obliged to pass all EU directive into law. So don't come to Norway if you expect to escape EU law.
Stop the brainwash