AP story on what is being described as the first major commercial service for tracking user locations via their cellphones. It won't be the last.
The mapAmobile service, unveiled last month in Britain, claims accuracy to within 50 yards. It charges an annual fee of £30, or $48, plus 30 pence per request. Even more precise services are likely in the United States within the next year as more phone models come with global positioning system, or GPS, chips already installed.
Carphone Warehouse, which runs the British service, promotes it as offering parents peace of mind or allowing businesses to check on the whereabouts of wayward staff. "We are responding to a real con sumer need by bringing to the market a reliable, affordable and effective way for people to locate each other without disturbing them," said the company's chief executive, Andrew Harrison. The consent of the cellphone owner is required, Harrison said. Even so, privacy advocates said there was potential for abuse. "Given that we know that schoolboys have hacked into the Pentagon computer, nothing is secure," said Barry Hugill of the rights group Liberty. "Once the technology is there, it is there to be abused and I find it very hard to believe that it would be watertight. Potentially, we could see stalkers moving in on the act."
The service is available from Britain's four main wireless operators: Vodafone Group, Orange, mmO2 and T-Mobile International. The smaller operators Virgin, Fresh and 3 Mobile are expected to join as well.
Link to AP story, Discuss (Thanks, ESC)
