The issue of location privacy has already triggered a few isolated legal skirmishes. Privacy groups are fighting new Federal Communications Commission regulations that allow the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to obtain highly detailed location information from cell phones. Civil rights groups have also criticized a recent insurance industry initiative in Texas to give automobile drivers lower rates in exchange for carrying around GPS transmitters. In a couple of criminal cases, defense lawyers have unsuccessfully tried to prevent cops from putting GPS devices on suspects under surveillance. Notwithstanding these isolated battles, there is still no legal protection whatsoever for citizens who object to the collection of data about their location.
Companies are entirely free to monitor where people go and then resell the data.
D.C. Over the long run, Sobel and other privacy advocates don't think it is possible to halt the collection of location data. It provides too many useful benefits. But they are hoping that a system can be created where people are given the option of choosing not to have their location data transmitted. The question boils down to whether users are in control of when information about them goes out. Ideally, privacy advocates hope that this system can be managed privately by the business community.