Articles in the Latitude Category
Google, Latitude, Locational privacy, Values in Design »
When Google launched Google Latitude 9 months ago, they took steps to ensure users’ locational privacy was protected. Among the most important privacy-protecting features was the fact that Google didn’t keep a log of user locations on its servers; only the most recent locational ping was stored. Not even law enforcement could gain access to a user’s location history. This design decision, apparently made in consultation with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, was a very positive step for Google, who I have taken issue in the past with regard to its …
Cellphones, Google, Latitude, Locational privacy, Privacy »
This week, Google launched Google Latitude, a new Google Maps feature that lets users share location data with friends, using either a mobile phone or through an interface on iGoogle. (see how it works here)
Unsurprisingly, concerns have arisen regarding the privacy implications of Latitude, and I, of course, have taken issue in the past with Google’s approach to (not) protecting locational privacy (as well as cellphone tracking in general).
But this time, I think Google got it right, and designed Latitude with user privacy in mind.
Here’s a quick rundown …
