O2 Data/Privacy

[ewanrw]

This is bound to annoy a few people...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19882647

Been happening with Vodafone customers for years - sell data to Tom Tom and other GPS companies so your GPS knows what traffic conditions are like.

ewan

[perksie]

Annoying yes, but I can't see any gain for Telefonica either.

Knowing that an anonymous mobile user has gone from London to a shop in Surrey is hardly going to be useful, or am I missing something here?

[Liquid]

More info

Richard Dodd, spokesman for the British Retail Consortium, told the BBC: "A teenage fashion chain might find it useful to know when and where teenage girls tend to congregate around town.

Just me or wouldnt tracking teenage girls be illegal?

More info

"There's no disclosure of personal information at all," the spokesman said, defending the decision.

And to make it useful to people wanting to buy the data they'd have to release gender age and location data. Hardly not personal data or am I missing somthing?

[perksie]

I guess this one's going to run and run and run....................

[jonsie]

We are tracked most everywhere we go now either by car, bus or train or just strolling through town. Criminal elements are already tracked by mobile, seems the norm nowadays.

[Liquid]

I'm going to have to make a tin foil hat for my phone as well now:(

[perksie]

Looks like it, even the local taxi firm won't be able to find you then!:smileyhappy:

[Anonymous]

I believe from what I know about it to be a way of monetising currently unused data such as shopping transactions done on mobiles to things like mobile web browsing habits.

All personal data is taken out, and the data presented is more of a trend analysis, such as "10% of 25-34 year old men shop at Topman" (example).  It would help marketing firms target adverts to specific demographics. 

The kind of anonymous data gathering is using industry-standard protocols similar to those used for Census information etc.

[Anonymous]

This should be totally illegal. On most forms on the net, you check a box if you don't want to participate in having your information sent "anonymously" to marketing people. I wonder how much of this is actually anonymous and how much is so they can spam your email inbox.

I am not interested in having my data sent to marketing people whether it's anonymous or not. What I do on the internet is my own PRIVATE concern and none of anybody else's. If these marketing people want their data, do it the old fashioned way and send out some researchers to ask questions. Or maybe they are not getting results because people prefer to have some privacy in their lives?

However, I do think someone with some legal background should take a look into the Human Rights charter because I do believe that this contravenes a few of the articles dealing with personal privacy since you are not asked whether or not you agree to participate.

[Liquid]

http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/guidance_index/~/media/documents/library/Data_Protection/Pra...

First paragraph deems this practise is perfectly legal. It's all stated in the T&Cs that everyone has to "read" before they complete the purchase.

Nothing illegal about it sorry.