Locating Privacy

The argument put forward by this article is that rather than ban the technology or restrict it, application developers should focus their efforts on securing location information from unwanted parties. This security requires an established and trusted brand and with the whiter-than-white veneer coming away from Google, consumers may begin to question how secure their data is. Additionally the market for location application needs to find a level where consumers are happy about what they submit, and the fact that there is a value added for both parties; the users and the third parties who are being asked to continually subsidize the applications.

As this article indicates, there is not a single solution that will provide a magic fix for this situation of privacy and the protection of it. Instead, a variety of approaches will be necessary to ensure continued development in this nascent market. These approaches may well vary by application, country, and even by user based on the differing perspectives on consumer privacy.

Copyright © 2009 IMS Research. All rights reserved.

About the author
Tom Arran is a Research Analyst for IMS Research, focusing on GPS and location based technology. Tom’s work spans the full range of company’s specialisation areas, including portable devices and alternative location technologies. His work also currently includes producing a quarterly intelligence service that accurately tracks the GPS and Alternative location market.

Tom holds a BSc Economics degree from the University of Leicester, and worked previously as a freelance cellular application designer.

Tom Arran can be contacted here

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are the personal opinions of the author and are not necessarily those of GPS Business News.