Tracking Things

Received several offers about the Tile App.  A little tag you can put on things and then track and locate with your smart phone.   About $20 each.  Available by end of year. Track the usual things like computers and luggage.  At first I thought this would track at any distance,  like a GPS beacon, but you have to be within a few hundred feet of devices that are close to their phone network, which is not extensive yet.   Now the general tracking would be very interesting.  Imagine it placed in a car surreptitiously.   Or in someone's pocket?  I worked with a company that was doing this kind of work with elements of the supply chain:  Track America.  Their system dialed the telephone network periodically to report location. Consumerizing this at a low cost would have interesting privacy implications.

Your E-ZPasses are Not Just Read At Tollbooths

In Forbes:  Are privacy conditions implied to just occur at locations where we expect a device to read our location?   This is probably disclosed somewhere deep in the signed agreement with E-ZPass tollbooth charging system.   A Hacker determines the truth.

Macy's Using Data and Showing Restraint

From the D2 Conference in Cincinnati via AdAdge:   " ... Macy's sees plenty of value in data-driven marketing and believes consumers should hear more from marketers about the benefits. But that doesn't mean the retailer will be secretly tracking shoppers by their mobile phone signals and linking the data with their transactions and home addresses.

Julie Bernard, senior VP-customer strategy, marketing and advertising of Macy's Julie Bernard, senior VP-customer strategy, marketing and advertising of Macy's Speaking at the D2 Digital Dialogue conference in Cincinnati Sept. 11, Julie Bernard, the retailer's senior VP-customer strategy, said marketers should speak up more often and forcefully to defend data use and counter negative media coverage. But she said they also need to show restraint. ... " 

Facial Recognition in the Wild

In the NYT:   Good overview about advances in facial and individual scanning and recognition. Pioneered for casino operations.  Crowd scanning for security applications.   As a possible replacement for user recognition passwords.   Also a considerable privacy issue.  And an integration with growing use of video systems.  Here a system I had not heard of before:

" .... The Department of Homeland Security tested a crowd-scanning project called the Biometric Optical Surveillance System — or BOSS — last fall after two years of government-financed development. Although the system is not ready for use, researchers say they are making significant advances. That alarms privacy advocates, who say that now is the time for the government to establish oversight rules and limits on how it will someday be used. ... " 

Enhanced Drivers Licenses for Data Mining

Next week California legislators are voting on an enhanced drivers license or EDL.  More here. Such a license contains a RFID tag that points to a personal identification number.   These can easily be read, but apparently only at a short distance.   It could make traffic and customs stops more efficient.  It could also lead to more general tracking of people and loss of position privacy.  I am less concerned than the article is.  There are many ways to gather this data already.  We can grow to expect this.  Mostly we need to understand how government is using and importantly, sharing the data.  Remembering also that data mining will make this kind of data more revealing.

Tracking your Cellphone Identity

In New Scientist:   Had heard of this, but it's apparently more accurate than I had thought.  Here in some technical detail.

Sharing Location Data

A Secure Location Data Locker: " ... OpenPaths is a secure data locker for personal location information .... 

Using our mobile apps you can track your location, visualize where you've been, and upload your data to the OpenPaths website. You can then download your data from the website in a variety of friendly formats, including KML, JSON, and CSV. The OpenPaths API enables you to integrate your own software with the platform, and you can import data from location-based services like Foursquare. .... You can keep your location history to yourself, or you can share it with specific research initiatives, art projects, or educational programs as you so choose. The OpenPaths online interface allows you to manage who has access to your data. Regardless, your data is always encrypted on the OpenPaths servers, and cannot be accessed by anyone without your express consent. ... "

Privacy and Compliance Expertise from P&G

Once again I point to Sandra Hughes' Web site.    She was previously chief privacy officer at Procter & Gamble.   We were colleagues in those years.  We met again today to discuss privacy issues caused by the recent NSA revelations, data security and over viewed compliance strategies and related technological methods.  Sandy Hughes would be particularly good as an adviser or board member to companies that have privacy exposure, as many companies do today.  Even if they don't think they do.  The link above also provides a nice graphic describing her areas of experience and influence. More about her and contact information.

Zeebox Can Listen in

In Engadget:  And it can tell what you are listening through analyzing an audio fingerprint. More data and less privacy?

Sandra Hughes Coaching Strategies

Former colleague Sandra Hughes,  For a time chief privacy officer of Procter & Gamble, has just set up a blog: Sandra Hughes Strategies.  Check it out.  She does consulting and life coaching. She writes: " ... I am a consultant, a mentor and a coach—I can help realize your objectives and aspirations for the future. ... "   I will report more about the blog as it develops.

Consequence of EU Tightening Data Privacy Further

A good Adage Article on how the revelations of massive private data leaks could make the EU further tighten data privacy. What does this mean and and what are the consequences.  Will this sequestering of the data end the domination of Silicon Valley in data hungry applications?  An extreme thought I think, but there will be consequences.