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Location Privacy

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This topic page provides news, resources, guidance and tools to get up-to-speed on location privacy and the issues surrounding it.

Location data consists of data indicating the geographical position of a device, including data relating to the latitude, longitude, or altitude of the device, the direction of travel of the user, or the time the location information was recorded.

Featured Resources

A new geolocation privacy paradigm

Geolocation data is a growing topic among privacy professionals due to the lack of regulatory safeguards around such data.This article provides a rundown of what geolocation data is all about and pointers for U.S. legislators at the federal and state level as they move toward proper regulation of collection, use and other practices.
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The limits of privacy
in location data

This article looks at the challenge of anonymizing location data and whether individual records in large datasets effectively become anonymous by virtue of being “lost in the crowd.”
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Geolocation used in the fight against COVID-19

As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country, the Peruvian government has implemented stronger policies and strategies that are aligned with measures that have proven to be effective around the world. Catherine Escobedo looks at the three most recent measures the Peruvian government has implemented.
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Latest News and Resources

Here are the contact tracing apps being deployed around the world

As countries begin to lift lockdowns from COVID-19, they are relying on contact tracing apps to identify and break the transmission chain of the disease. While some Asian countries have implemented their contact tracing apps with strict surveillance measures, Europe and the U.S. are scrambling to build apps with privacy in mind. Countries are working with app developers and technology companies to develop contact tracing in hopes they can contain the transmission of COVID-19. While more privacy... Read More

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Senate holds 'paper hearing' on tracking consumers to fight pandemic

In a sign of the dangerous time we're living in and as most of the U.S. self-quarantines to protect health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Senate Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation held an unusual "paper hearing" on how to responsibly employ big data to combat spread of the virus. Witnesses submitted testimony to the committee, and now will have a "96-business-hour turnaround time to answer member questions," which will be made public via the Senate committee's website.  "... Read More

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Apple: Location Services Privacy Overview
(Apple, February 2022)
A Closer Look at Location Data: Privacy and Pandemics
(Future of Privacy Forum, December 2020)
Privacy advocates emphasize safeguards in potential COVID-19 tracking
(IAPP, March 2020)
US government exploring location data tracking for COVID-19
(IAPP, March 2020)
German, Austrian telecoms disclose location data for COVID-19 tracking
(IAPP, March 2020)
Israel plans COVID-19 tracking through phone data
(IAPP, March 2020)
Abuse of Power: An introduction to spy apps and stalkerware
(Citizen Lab & Co., August 2019)
The Power of Place: Geolocation Tracking and Privacy
(Business Law Today, January 2019)
Lawsuit against weather app sign of things to come?
(IAPP, January 2019)
Best Practices for Mobile Application Developers
(Center for Democracy and Technology, Future of Privacy Forum, May 2016)
Mobile Location Analytics Code of Conduct
(Future of Privacy Forum, May 2016)
Privacy International — Metadata Explained
(Privacy International, May 2015)
What’s the Geolocation Equivalent of Shouting “Fire!” In a Crowded Theater?
(IAPP, June 2013)
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Enforcement

Treasury department IG finds law enforcement may be using mobile GPS data illegally

U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George said in a report law enforcement agencies may be using cellphone GPS data from mobile applications illegally, The Wall Street Journal reports. George found the results of the Carpenter v. United States case could prohibit the use of using such data without a warrant and called for stricter controls around the information. The review was conducted following an audit request from Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and... Read More

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Lawsuit against weather app sign of things to come?

Recently, the office of the Los Angeles City Attorney, Mike Feuer, filed a complaint against The Weather Channel Product and Technology, LLC (TWC)—the company owned by IBM and behind the popular Weather Channel mobile application. Feuer stated: “[W]e allege TWC elevates corporate profits over users’ privacy, misleading them into allowing their movements to be tracked, 24/7. We’re acting to stop this alleged deceit.” This action may encourage state attorneys general across the country to conside... Read More

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CNIL tells Singlespot to obtain consent for geolocation data collection

France’s data protection authority, the CNIL, has warned Singlespot to properly gather consent for the collection of geolocation data or else it could face potential regulatory actions. The CNIL found Singlespot obtained users’ geolocation data from their smartphones in order to send targeted ads. An investigation determined the company never asked for consent when it collected the geolocation data, nor did it have a defined data-retention period. The president of the CNIL has given Singlespot t... Read More

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CNIL tells Singlespot to obtain consent for geolocation data collection

France’s data protection authority, the CNIL, has warned Singlespot to properly gather consent for the collection of geolocation data or else it could face potential regulatory actions. The CNIL found Singlespot obtained users’ geolocation data from their smartphones in order to send targeted ads. An investigation determined the company never asked for consent when it collected the geolocation data, nor did it have a defined data-retention period. The president of the CNIL has given Singlespot t... Read More

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Definitions

Geofencing

Geofencing is the creation of virtual perimeters linked to the geographic position of a mobile device. In the BYOD context, geofencing may be used to restrict access to applications or sensitive information inside of or outside of specific locations. For example, a company may be able to restrict access to potentially risky applications on a personal device when the device is connected to the company’s network or, conversely, restrict access to company resources when the device is outside of the... Read More

Internet Protocol Address

A unique string of numbers that identifies a computer on the Internet or other TCP/IP network. The IP address is expressed in four groups of up to three numbers, separated by periods. For example: 123.123.23.2. An address may be "dynamic," meaning that it is assigned temporarily whenever a device logs on to a network or an Internet service provider and consequently may be different each time a device connects. Alternatively, an address may be "static," meaning that it is assigned to a particular... Read More

Location-Based Service

Services that utilize information about location to deliver, in various contexts, a wide array of applications and services, including social networking, gaming and entertainment. Such services typically rely upon GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi, or similar technologies in which geolocation is used to identify the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a mobile device or an internet-connected computer terminal.- Acronym(s): LBS Associated term(s): Geolocation; GPS; Global Positioning System; RF... Read More

Metadata

Data that describes other data. “Meta” is a prefix meaning “an underlying description” in information technology usage.... Read More

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