Koreans Sue Apple Over iPhone Tracking

From PC World:
27,000 South Koreans Sue Apple Over iPhone Privacy Violations

The class-action suit against Apple stems from the revelations that the iPhone tracks and stores data about users' movements and sends the anonymous information to Apple servers.

By Eric Mack, PCWorld    Aug 17, 2011 12:31 pm


"The flap over iPhone location tracking led to some grandstanding in Congress and a few lawsuits by users in the United States over privacy concerns, but now nearly 27,000 South Koreans are suing Apple for privacy violations."  Read more.

Reminder: Next EPC meeting - September 8th at 2:00 PM.  Event details and sign up is here.

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Blurred Satellite Images - Living in the Post 9/11 World

Click on the link below to read the article by the Associated Press:

AP IMPACT: Uneven Post-9/11 Data-cloaking Persists
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press
August 22, 2011


Comment: This article is an eye-opener for two reasons:
1. It drives home the point that many individuals involved in homeland security see geospatial data as the tip of the spear when it comes to information flows in our society that could be used against us.  Indeed, in the state of New York - mentioned many times in this article - the New York State GIS Clearing House resides in the Office of Cyber Security in the New York Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.


2. Since ALL infrastructure data has a location element to it, location is the cross compartment unifying theme for managing and visualizing emergency preparedness and response efforts for those systems.  Consequently, infrastructure data is headed toward center stage of the much bigger geospatial data fight that has started to emerge in our nation.  (See the "Legal" category, this blog)

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Blurred Satellite Images - Living in the Post 9/11 World

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Big Brother Is Watching You: The Town Where EVERY Car Is Tracked By Police Cameras

From the U.K's Daily Mail

31 July 2011
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Big Brother is watching you: The town where EVERY car is tracked by police cameras
The small town of Royston, which has a population of around 15,000, will have seven police cameras recording the numberplate of every vehicle that passes them.  Read more.

Comment: For many years the Brits have used remote camera systems to record the license plates of individuals who run stop lights or are speeding.  However, this approach which includes data base scanning takes the technology to a whole new level.

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Big Brother Is Watching You: The Town Where EVERY Car Is Tracked By Police Cameras

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Street View Cars Grabbed Locations of Phones and PCs

CNET News
July 25, 2011 12:14 AM PDT
by Declan McCullagh

According to CNET News, Google's Street View cars collected the locations of millions of laptops, cell phones, printers, and other wireless devices around the world.  Read more.

Comment: Google was already in hot water after it was discovered earlier this year that its Street View mapping effort had collected the location of unencrypted wi-fi networks during its world-wide development.  Indeed, several countries have either commenced legal action or are contemplating same, with a BBC News article about the situation: "Google Accused of Criminal Intent Over StreetView Data", being typical.  

While this latest disclosure about cell phones and wireless devices is only certain to add to the controversy, privacy concerns as described above are only one edge of the "geolocation sword".  The other edge is emergency response systems like Next Generation 911 will not work without the ability to determine the geospatial location of Voice Over IP systems (i.e. Vontage, Magic Jack) and cell phones.  

For further insights into the complexities of this issue, go here. 

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Senators Ask Intelligence Agencies About Location Tracking of Americans

From the Wall Street Journal
July 14, 2011, 2:45 PM ET
Jennifer Valentino-DeVries

Are U.S. intelligence agencies tracking American citizens’ location through cellphones and GPS devices?  Some Senators want answers.  Read more.

Comment: Much like what occurred in the medical community some 30 years ago and continues to this day, technology developments in the geospatial community have started to surge ahead of the legal community's ability to keep up.  Nowhere has this started to become more apparent than the emergency services sector, particularly the law enforcement community.  Look for more of these complex issues to emerge as the years go forward.

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Senators Ask Intelligence Agencies About Location Tracking of Americans

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Pipelines, Black Swans, and Data Governance

An interesting article by Mr. J. Tracy Thorleifson, Vice President at Eagle Information Mapping, Inc., discusses how geospatial data that was "less than accurate" played a significant role in the San Burno, CA pipeline accident of last year. 

Go here to read. 

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Judge Rules Use of GPS to Track a Cheating Spouse is Not an Invasion of Privacy

MaryAnn Spoto/The Star-Ledger
Friday, July 08, 2011, 6:44 AM

GLOUCESTER COUNTY — Beware, all you cheating husbands and wives.
The use of a GPS device to track your whereabouts is not an invasion of privacy in New Jersey, a state appellate court panel ruled today.  Read more.

Comment: This case has implications for the Law Enforcement community.

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Judge Rules Use of GPS to Track a Cheating Spouse is Not an Invasion of Privacy

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Google Loses Bid to Dismiss Street View Suit Over Privacy-Violation Claims

Google Inc. must face a lawsuit claiming its data collection using Wi-Fi networks for its Street View program, which allows users see photographs of roadsides, violates wiretapping laws, a judge said.  Go here for more: http://bloom.bg/j1hBlu

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Google Loses Bid to Dismiss Street View Suit Over Privacy-Violation Claims

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Setting Boundaries on the Use of Your Geotracking Data

An interesting editorial from the Denver Post:

"A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill in Congress to set boundaries on the use of GPS information, including requirements that police establish probable cause and get warrants before obtaining geolocation data from private companies. It's a strong and useful piece of legislation that would bring laws into line with technological advances and set clear standards for private companies and law enforcement."   Read More

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Setting Boundaries on the Use of Your Geotracking Data

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Cops Grab Motorist GPS Data to Set Up Speed Camera Traps

"Cops Grab Motorist GPS Data to Set Up Speed Camera Traps
Data from motorist GPS units handed to Dutch police for the purpose of setting up speed traps.

Users of TomTom GPS navigation systems unwittingly helped government officials identify locations where speed cameras would issue the maximum number of citations. The Dutch firm took immediate responsibility Wednesday for selling consumer data that was, in turn, used against its customers."

From thenewspaper.com.  Read more.

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Cops Grab Motorist GPS Data to Set Up Speed Camera Traps

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Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops

"Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops
ACLU seeks information on Michigan program that allows cops to download information from smart phones belonging to stopped motorists."

Read more.


Comment: While the underlying truth of this article is hard to determine, what is irrefutable, is that we are headed into an era where more and more GIS technology versus legality issues are going to surface.

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Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops

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