EU Demands Explicit Geo-Location Permissions 69
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."
yea fuktard. (Score:5, Informative)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index [wikipedia.org]
Nice - this is going to be fun to watch (Score:3, Informative)
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.
Re:Nice - this is going to be fun to watch (Score:5, Informative)
i can put your mind at rest concerning the truck drivers: trip recorders are mandatory for trucks and have been for decades (at least in Germany, but i'm pretty sure that this is an EU directive). police are allowed to check these anytime. these recorders do not store any geo data, but speed and driver working hours.
Re:Already in Android? (Score:3, Informative)
Many apps on the iPhone do so as well. The phone itself, no.
Wanted: words with whiskers... (Score:5, Informative)
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.