Today's Metro's headline "Android phones all leak secrets" (placed next to a photo of a gloomy looking Arnie for added dramatic effect) was a fitting prelude to the publication of the latest Article
Today's Metro's headline "Android phones all leak secrets" (placed next to a photo of a gloomy looking Arnie for added dramatic effect) was a fitting prelude to the publication of the latest Article 29 Working Party Opinion on geolocation services on smart mobile devices. The message of both pieces seemed to be very similar: enjoy your smartphone at your peril! Is it really that bad?
Let's get the basic facts right first: every electronic exchange of information is recorded somewhere - emails sent, web pages visited, telephone calls made, credit card transactions, etc. It is in the nature of the digital age. Smartphones and the like represent the latest form of communications technology and, as such, mobile communications leave behind some of the most sophisticated records that digital technology can generate. The issue is whether the collection and use of this information has an impact on people's privacy and data security.
The concepts of "traffic data" and "location data" are defined by EU law and their use is strictly regulated because it is perceived as sufficiently sensitive. Although there are some subtle differences, in both cases the lawful use of such data involves obtaining the consent of the individual. However, in the case of location data, consent is not required if the data is anonymous.
This is a crucial point in the context of smartphones-generated data that the Working Party Opinion does not fully address. According to the Working Party, because location data from smart mobile devices reveals intimate details about the private life of their owner, the main applicable legitimate ground is prior informed consent. This is a massive generalisation of the multiples modalities of geolocation services, many of which will rely on anonymous data or, at least, data which is not meant to identify or affect a particular user. Therefore, requiring consent may go further than what the EU legal framework intended.
Unfortunately, a black and white approach to this issue conveys an unhealthy sense of panic and, even worse, distracts us from the real challenge: spotting the real threats to our privacy and security that may be caused by rapid and imperfect technological development.
Let's get the basic facts right first: every electronic exchange of information is recorded somewhere - emails sent, web pages visited, telephone calls made, credit card transactions, etc. It is in the nature of the digital age. Smartphones and the like represent the latest form of communications technology and, as such, mobile communications leave behind some of the most sophisticated records that digital technology can generate. The issue is whether the collection and use of this information has an impact on people's privacy and data security.
The concepts of "traffic data" and "location data" are defined by EU law and their use is strictly regulated because it is perceived as sufficiently sensitive. Although there are some subtle differences, in both cases the lawful use of such data involves obtaining the consent of the individual. However, in the case of location data, consent is not required if the data is anonymous.
This is a crucial point in the context of smartphones-generated data that the Working Party Opinion does not fully address. According to the Working Party, because location data from smart mobile devices reveals intimate details about the private life of their owner, the main applicable legitimate ground is prior informed consent. This is a massive generalisation of the multiples modalities of geolocation services, many of which will rely on anonymous data or, at least, data which is not meant to identify or affect a particular user. Therefore, requiring consent may go further than what the EU legal framework intended.
Unfortunately, a black and white approach to this issue conveys an unhealthy sense of panic and, even worse, distracts us from the real challenge: spotting the real threats to our privacy and security that may be caused by rapid and imperfect technological development.