[IP] more on ABCNEWS.com: Missouri May Track Cell Phones for Traffic Data
Begin forwarded message:
From: Rahul Tongia <tongia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: October 17, 2005 4:50:47 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] ABCNEWS.com: Missouri May Track Cell Phones for
Traffic Data
Dave,
IF (and it's a huge if) there were a way to anonymize and sanitize
the information, granular, distributed information like this could do
wonders for efficiency, energy consumption reduction, etc. Similar
information could eventually be available on how how we use any
particular appliance (esp. Heating/ventilation/air conditioning) in
every home. The issue isn't can this save energy or money (in the
power systems world, it is estimated that a 5% peak consumption
reduction reduces corresponding generation prices about 25%), it's
aligning the incentives such that consumers win, instead of firms
able to price-discriminate better or squeeze higher earnings, of
course, while maintaining consumer privacy and rights.
In terms of the traffic system, if the information were truly
anonymized, how would this do much worse to citizens than today's
real-time traffic systems relying on sensors and crude metrics (e.g.,
used at traffic.com)? Not that one exists, but a benign dictator
would then could use a cell-centric system for optimizing not only
traffic alerts but public transport, traffic lights, road repairs,
special events, etc.
The question to IPers - is there a reasonable and known way to
achieve the desired privacy results (anonymizing, sanitizing, etc.) ?
If not, can not one be developed?
I would bet other countries may try this soon, perhaps in Asia...
Thinking out loud,
Rahul
p.s. Doesn't my cell company already know where I am at all times?
How that information is used is the issue at hand.
************************************************************************
Rahul Tongia, Ph.D.
Systems Scientist
School of Computer Science (ISRI) / Dept. of Engineering & Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
tel: 412-268-5619
fax: 412-268-2338
email: tongia@xxxxxxx
--On Sunday, October 16, 2005 11:01 AM -0400 David Farber
<dave@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Begin forwarded message:
From: Shari Steele <ssteele@xxxxxxx>
Date: October 15, 2005 7:43:27 AM EDT
To: EFF Privacy <eff-priv@xxxxxxx>
Subject: [E-PRV] Fwd: ABCNEWS.com: Missouri May Track Cell Phones for
Traffic Data
Missouri May Track Cell Phones for Traffic Data
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1214736
Driving to work, you notice the traffic beginning to slow. And
because
you have your cell phone on, the government senses the delay, too. A
congestion alert is issued, automatically updating electronic road
signs
and Web sites and dispatching text messages to mobile phones and auto
dashboards.
In what would be the largest project of its kind, the Missouri
Department of Transportation is finalizing a contract to monitor
thousands of cell phones, using their movements to map real-time
traffic
conditions statewide on all 5,500 miles of major roads.
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shari Steele ssteele@xxxxxxx
Executive Director 415.436.9333 (voice)
Electronic Frontier Foundation 415.436.9993 (fax)
454 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
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