[CARDEEP]

As per new report from the Government Accountability Office in US, several major automakers & GPS manufacturers have been collecting data about drivers' whereabouts gathered from on-board navigation systems & keeping the information for varying lengths of time. The parties accused of 'spying' include big three (Asian) Detroit automakers - Toyota, Honda & Nissan, as well as GPS manufacturers Garmin & TomTom, & also, app developers Google Maps & Telenav.

According to the report, the companies can track consumers location, which can in turn be used to steal their identity, &/ or stalk them or monitor them without their knowledge. This data can also be used to infer other sensitive information about individuals such as their religious affiliation or political activities. Even if a motorist wants data about their travel destroyed, the entity collecting the data isn't required to destroy it.

As per the Agency, the privacy of motorists is at risk if information about their travels are being recorded without their knowledge, & kept for indefinite amounts of time.

More details here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-identity.html

[mints21]

It is not only restricted to cars alone ,I think we have entered an era where our privacy is severally compromised. Our dependence on electronic gadgets and use of technology may have made life easier for us, but the data collected from us can equally be used against us.

Such things that can compromise the privacy should have restricted access. The most unfortunate part is that most of us do not bother to go through the terms and conditions when using certain apps or gadgets but tend to sign on dotted lines.

However, on the contrary there are companies which are in the business of data collection and the data that they source and collect is sold to the companies who want to access a particular market on certain parameters. Data Resource Group is one of the companies that I have heard and is based in USA.

[JEHU]

Smart phones themselves are the best snooping devices and hence one stands next to exposed at all times. With countries crying foul over the big nation's snooping acts and big corporations being compelled to share data on social media and mobile transactions, we know that we are under watchful eyes all the times. The IT world boasts big on BIG DATA for analytics. An automotive enthusiast, who travels much, invariably shops around and his/her buying preferences or touring trends are captured and everything in between too. Atleast when the vehicle is stationary and one is out of the vehicle, less info is being scooped by those devices.

[2500cc]

Originally Posted by mints21

Such things that can compromise the privacy should have restricted access. The most unfortunate part is that most of us do not bother to go through the terms and conditions when using certain apps or gadgets but tend to sign on dotted lines.

Lets say I want a GPS device for my navigational purpose, and there are only 3 products in the market and all 3 of them come with clauses which says "user data is collected to enhancing the product/to provide better experience".

Even if we go through the T&C, there's nothing much we can do bro. We are in digitaisedl world and have got entangled in the web. There's no escape.

[greenhorn]

any of you using google maps might want to have at look at your google location dashboard. You'd be surprised by the information google might have about you

[Jeroen]

Just a couple of thoughts: A GPS unit on itself does not have the capability to transmit anything. So if you have a Garmin or a TomTom without live traffic and don't connect it to your (smart) phone it's impossible for anybody to know where you are.

I own several TomTom units, one in the Netherlands and one in the UK, all with life traffic. But since I just bought those in a shop and it doesn't require any further registration nobody knows me it's using these.

Jeroen

[mayuresh]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

any of you using google maps might want to have at look at your google location dashboard. You'd be surprised by the information google might have about you

Indeed. I am amazed. It has time-stamp-wise information about your whereabouts whenever google maps was turned on. So google not only knows where you roam around, shop etc. it also knows who your employer is, in case your GPS was on on your way to office...

Further to add to this thread, Insurance companies do like to track your location so as to analyze your driving practices, such as speeds on kinds of roads etc that they can use to compute your insurance costs!

Further, to respect the privacy of customers, some companies throw away the location information and store only the driving patterns information.

But even further, some academics have worked out ways to find out where you went, given your starting location and speed variation pattern such as gathered by insurance companies, despite throwing away the location information...
http://www.technologyreview.com/view...ed-data-alone/

[GrammarNazi]

To me this was given after Edward Snowden showed to what extent US is going to snoop on as many people as possible. The intent is clear, if they want to trap someone, they look through the data collected about them through various media, including E-Mails, GPS tracks and what not. Just get an email about a flight confirmation and you'll get a reminder from Google+ about your flight on that day, without any authorisation or anything.

Even the recent change to Sygic maps becoming free is collecting data from users and updating their maps with GPS tracks collected. Although they have already started coming up with paid feature updates.

On a lighter note, here's a nice video : http://www.collegehumor.com/video/69...e-blackmail%2F

Glad the Indian government called off talks with them to enlist voters in India (read some such newspaper report just today or yesterday or recently). Doing business with Google or the likes, is just like a deal with the devil, you'll eventually only lose.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by mayuresh

Further to add to this thread, Insurance companies do like to track your location so as to analyze your driving practices, such as speeds on kinds of roads etc that they can use to compute your insurance costs!
http://www.technologyreview.com/view...ed-data-alone/

In various countries you can buy special insurances at discounted rates if you claim to have certain driving pattern. (e.g. time of the day, geographical locations, never speed etc). Some of these insurance companies offer substantial discounts but you have to allow them to install a little black box in your car that will actually verify your claim on how you drive. Seems only fair to me.

These days, many company cars and trucks in western countries are equipped with similar black boxes. It's a company asset, so the company wants to know where it is and whether you're using it appropriately. Again, seems only fair to me.

In the USA and most of Europe, though legislation, the (mobile) operators have to provide location information for each emergency call. E.g. in the US when you make a call to 911, or in Europe to 112, the system will provide the emergency dispatch centre with your location as well. Depending on the technology used, it could be pretty accurate from a few meter to within several hundred meters. The reason is obvious, in case of an emergency they want to know your location and often people don't know exactly where they are, or due to stress give the wrong answer. Again, makes all perfect sense to me.

So we have a lot of technology out there that can pinpoint an individual or a car pretty accurately, and or even track their movements. Many perfectly logic and fair reasons for doing so. (I love my TomTom Live Traffic in Europe!).

The problem, as with any (new) technology, is how it gets used and by whom to what purpose.

Jeroen

[CARDEEP]

Now US Senators are proposing a law covering 'black box' data.

Driver Privacy Act would stipulate that data belongs to car owners and can only be accessed by others under court order.

More details here:

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs...black-box-data

@Jeroen this emphasises the fact you have highlighted in previous post:

In the USA and most of Europe, though legislation, the (mobile) operators have to provide location information for each emergency call. E.g. in the US when you make a call to 911, or in Europe to 112, the system will provide the emergency dispatch centre with your location as well. Depending on the technology used, it could be pretty accurate from a few meter to within several hundred meters. The reason is obvious, in case of an emergency they want to know your location and often people don't know exactly where they are, or due to stress give the wrong answer.

Meanwhile, Ford had cake in the face moment, courtesy the comment 'We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when you’re doing it' by Jim Farley, company's executive vice president of marketing, who said it at CES last week, though he also added, “By the way, we don’t supply that data to anyone”.

The company Ford denounced his comments the next day & he too issued an apology.

More details here:

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs...wners-with-gps

[saket77]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

any of you using google maps might want to have at look at your google location dashboard. You'd be surprised by the information google might have about you

+10000 to you!

In fact, I have been pretty wary of Google. Even if you have been using Gmail, in the upper section, there are displayed a few ads. You would be surprised if you pay a little attention to those ads. Those ads will be displayed on the basis of what you have been mailing to your friends or other people. For eg. I had mailed for a quote for home projector and there came an ad popping up for a projector. I clicked on a link - 'why this ad' and it what the answer was shocking - 'based on the contents of your email!' I can understand if it was based on internet cookies stored on my computer still, but my mails?? Hmmm...So, they have been reading my mails too. Google maps, street view, sat images & latitude are excellent tools which can be used by the company to track you any moment. You never know what apps are running in the background of your android phone which consumes to much of data & battery power! And by the way such MNCs are expanding their activities, there is a strong case that these companies will soon be in a position to create a better curriculum vitae of you than yourself!

And yes, ever wondered why most of these services, OS, etc are open source & free?

Coming to GPS devices, even if there is no internet connectivity, I can understand that still they can share at least your location & route to the manufacturer by the unique ID of the GPS chip inside the navigators.