How and who is using your GPS data

I read recently that TomTom in Europe apologised to its clients for reselling the clients’ data and how that data was potentially going to be used. In effect government authorities will potentially be able to determine better locations for the placement of speed cameras which in turn increases revenue.

TomTom isn’t the only business that is recording users’ data and I’d be fairly confident that if you’re using a mobile phone your location data is being collected and used in ways you probably can’t imagine. If you’re using a “free” service simply ask yourself, how is the company making money? If you ask that question you’ll start to realise if they aren’t making the money from you, they have to be making it in some way and you may not be entirely happy with how your data is being used.

 

The problem now is even if we do pay a company for their service, they still seem to think it is their right to use our information for their benefit and I for one don’t think that is right.

TomTom Australia says it is planning to sell GPS data collected about its customers' journeys to road authorities and private companies ... Read More

Keep in mind as the consumer you have choices. You can turn off features of your devices that you aren’t using. In my case I have an iPhone I use only as a portable computer and a low cost dumb mobile phone I use for calls. The advantage of this is the mobile phone can last days on a single charge whereas smart phones need to be charged every day and sometimes multiple times a day.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au