Google Latitude, invasion of privacy?

Google just launched a new tool aimed at geolocation through mobile phones, it is Latitude, a service based on the functionality of Google Maps. It is strange that these pirouettes were already done Ipoki, also Amena, Vodafone and Find Friend; but now since Golden hands of Google its diffusion will be greater. We believe that the service will become popular, not without first taking the dangers of innovations of this level.

Let's look at at least three positions, which implies Google Latitude.

Google knows where you are

It is known that Google intends to associate this service with contextual advertising by means of Empowering Local Businesses; in this case no longer starting from keywords but from geographic location. So if Google knows that you are at the traffic light on Boulevard Platero, it could insert business advertisements within 1 kilometer around, if there is a traffic map, it could include you of the two kilometers through which you will continue to continue on that route.

On this side, I don't see any harm in it because we are all saturated with advertising and we have learned to live with or without it. We also understand and support online advertising, which to date has been one of the best sustainability strategies on the Internet, apart from providing services associated with hosting and design.

You know where you are

Well, imagine you're going to a meeting and you can't find the right place; simple, if one of your contacts will be there, just search where it is and go to the same site.

Also if you go to a party and do not want to arrive first, you can make sure if other friends have arrived; In case of a work meeting, you can check if everyone has already arrived so as not to waste time.

In short, the utilities can be multiple at the level of social networks, contacts, agendas and especially because it is oriented towards mobiles. Because it is from Google, maybe it will integrate it to gmail accounts, with it to Google Calendar, of course AdSense, AdWords and perhaps even to its dying social networks like Orkut although Some affirm that with this Google could constitute the largest social network. Also the competition will do something similar and well-positioned networks like Facebook they will get in full with the API.

Others know where you are

  Here is one of the risks, someone could know your travel routine, let's imagine a kidnapper who has his eye on your child ... terrifying. What would happen if your mobile is stolen, the thief may decide to attack your contacts (friends), or at least write down their daily routines before the mobile is blocked.

Another is, tell your boss that you are six blocks away in a traffic jam, when he is seeing that you have not even left your house.

And the worst case, that your wife says that to be in tune everyone has the service ... mmm, give me a reason to explain why you do not want to enable it.

Surely for all these risks there are exceptions, you can choose who is enabled to see your position; you can also select when to browse as a hidden user i guess. But nothing guarantees that a virus or hacker can break security and be used for malicious purposes.

Conclusion

There will be those who will question if this implies an invasion of privacy, whether Google knows where you are, that you know it yourself or that you allow it to others, it is good that technology is evolving in this every day. We will have to see the evolution that this takes and the speed of implementation because I understand that this requires permanent access to the Internet, for now Google Latitude is available in 27 countries and on various devices such as:

Most color BlackBerrys

Most devices with Windows Mobile 5.0 or higher

Most devices with Symbian S60 technology (Nokia smartphones)

Sony Ericsson phones with Java 2 Micro Edition technology (J2ME); available at launch time or shortly thereafter.

PS

Google should also invent a system to geolocate the damn keys ... oh, by the way, I think not everyone will sign up for this service, for example Bin Ladden.