Location Information: Time for a Privacy Check-In
Information about where you go is valuable
Location data from your cell phone or portable device can make it easy to get directions or locate the closest coffee shop. But that location data also says a lot about you – where you go, what you do, and who you know. And outdated privacy laws, written before GPS and other location-aware technologies even existed, mean that all this personal information isn't being properly protected from prying eyes. Don't pay for location-based services by giving up control of your personal information. Demand a privacy upgrade. Demand your dotRights!
Wherever you go, companies may follow
Your location information reveals a lot about you. Many location-based services can pinpoint your location within 30 feet – knowing when you are at church, school, work, a political rally, or a hospital or clinic, and connecting you with other people nearby. Many also record this location data, keeping a record of who you are and where you go for months or even years. The company might use this detailed profile for targeted advertising or share or sell it to others. And you might not even know any of this is happening.
Wherever you go, the government may follow
Your location information is a treasure trove of details about your private life. And the government is taking advantage of outdated privacy laws to get its hands on this information by demanding it with a subpoena that a judge has never even seen!
Demand control of your location information
You deserve to be able to use your cell phone or mobile device without worrying that information about what you do and where you go will end up being used in ways you never intended or imagined. It's time to upgrade privacy laws to keep our personal information safe. It's time to stop paying for new technology with our privacy.
Learn more:
Issue Paper - Location-Based Services: Time for a Privacy Check-In
Location-Based Services: Privacy Comparison Chart
Location Information: An Online Privacy Fact Sheet from the ACLU
Mobile Apps for Nonprofits: A Fact Sheet from the ACLU
