[IP] [EPIC_IDOF] Getting consumers' consent to sell cellphone tracking data
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Richard M. Smith" <rms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: November 29, 2005 12:12:46 PM EST
To: EPIC_IDOF@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [EPIC_IDOF] Getting consumers' consent to sell cellphone
tracking data
Hi,
The Baltimore Sun and New York Times recently ran articles about the
State
of Maryland getting ready to roll out a traffic flow monitoring
system which
works by tracking the position of cellphones which are being carried in
cars. The Baltimore Sun article is still online at this URL:
Cell phone data tracing traffic in Md.
System 'watches' vehicles, raises fears about privacy
http://tinyurl.com/7we6q
Virginia and Missouri are also about ready to test similar systems.
I want to see a requirement put into place that wireless companies
must get
a customer's written consent before any of their cellphone position
data is
turned over to a third-party for any uses not related to making
cellphone
calls.
I recent contacted the Maryland Highway Department and requested a
copy of
the contract for the system. The contract is now online as a Word
document
file on my Web site:
http://www.computerbytesman.com/privacy/mdotcontract.doc
I haven't had time to review the contract yet, but I did see that the
funds
for this Maryland project are coming from the Federal Highway
Administration
(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/). Perhaps the FHWA are the folks who
should be
requiring consumers to provide consent to have their cellphone
position data
sold to other companies.
Richard M. Smith
http://www.ComputerBytesMan.com
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