Why Do You Think This Is A Reasonable Trade Off For Security And Privacy
Many users need not worry about privacy risks if they understand what to do. The new GPS technology allows people to find their way through unfamiliar places. It is a tool that helps people in locating a restaurant or an ATM in town. As a tracking tool, privacy issues about GPS use have been raised. This technology is now being integrated in most models of phones and cameras. Users like its features, from simple photo taking to sharing of information on the internet.
Critics presented their main point of worry as to the risk involved. Anybody can have access to the user's location from cell phone data. Technology has enabled many phones to store detailed records of where a person has been. Using this data with Google maps, the phone owner's location data can be easily traced, together with how long he or she stayed in there.
EXIF data, which means Exchangeable Image File, is used to store photos in GPS-enabled phones or cameras. This new annotation is embedded in nearly all present-day cameras. By using EXIF, information such as shutter speed, F number, exposure compensation, ISO number, date and time the image was taken, and other information, can be stored. These however, are just information about qualities of the stored data and do not create issues on privacy. It is the ability of some cameras using EXIF to store GPS information on the photo that raises the alarm.
Apple and Google have the same opinion towards this privacy issue. They say that the users have to be responsible for protecting their privacy. The technology is there, but users are the ones who can elect whether or not to use it. Users can easily disable, or switch off location tracking features in their phones. Furthermore, Google also denied the traceability of identification numbers of each phone signal. It could be recalled that Google assigns a unique signal for each handset.
Some groups do not support the idea of switching off GPS features. GPS technology has been applied in many helpful applications. New phone models are designed to control lots of new apps that are location enabled. Not taking advantage of the benefits of this feature will make one's phone "useless".
One effective way of resolving the problem is to set limits on the use of GPS data. Phone users and manufacturers can also hope that the government can do as much to catch up with the fast-changing technology. Meanwhile, users have to make sure that they can guard their own privacy.
This can be done by limiting the sharing of data, especially GPS enabled photos, online. One should take time to think well before uploading photos to any website, especially social networking sites. Users should be informed that most sites continually ask the user whether or not he or she wants to disclose the information before posting. This makes one fully accountable for his or her own privacy.
Critics presented their main point of worry as to the risk involved. Anybody can have access to the user's location from cell phone data. Technology has enabled many phones to store detailed records of where a person has been. Using this data with Google maps, the phone owner's location data can be easily traced, together with how long he or she stayed in there.
EXIF data, which means Exchangeable Image File, is used to store photos in GPS-enabled phones or cameras. This new annotation is embedded in nearly all present-day cameras. By using EXIF, information such as shutter speed, F number, exposure compensation, ISO number, date and time the image was taken, and other information, can be stored. These however, are just information about qualities of the stored data and do not create issues on privacy. It is the ability of some cameras using EXIF to store GPS information on the photo that raises the alarm.
Apple and Google have the same opinion towards this privacy issue. They say that the users have to be responsible for protecting their privacy. The technology is there, but users are the ones who can elect whether or not to use it. Users can easily disable, or switch off location tracking features in their phones. Furthermore, Google also denied the traceability of identification numbers of each phone signal. It could be recalled that Google assigns a unique signal for each handset.
Some groups do not support the idea of switching off GPS features. GPS technology has been applied in many helpful applications. New phone models are designed to control lots of new apps that are location enabled. Not taking advantage of the benefits of this feature will make one's phone "useless".
One effective way of resolving the problem is to set limits on the use of GPS data. Phone users and manufacturers can also hope that the government can do as much to catch up with the fast-changing technology. Meanwhile, users have to make sure that they can guard their own privacy.
This can be done by limiting the sharing of data, especially GPS enabled photos, online. One should take time to think well before uploading photos to any website, especially social networking sites. Users should be informed that most sites continually ask the user whether or not he or she wants to disclose the information before posting. This makes one fully accountable for his or her own privacy.
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It is not just phones that can give away your location. Every time you surf the web you are letting websites know where you are. To surf anonymously use an encrypted proxy to mask your location.
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