Google launches software to track mobile users.

[Vilis Veritas]

BANGALORE (Reuters) - U.S. Internet search company Google Inc released software on Wednesday that allows users of mobile phones and other wireless devices to automatically share their whereabouts with family and friends.

Users in 27 countries will be able to broadcast their location to others constantly, using Google Latitude. Controls allow users to select who receives the information or to go offline at any time, Google said on its Web site.

"Fun aside, we recognize the sensitivity of location data, so we've built fine-grained privacy controls right into the application," Google said in a blog post announcing the service.

"You not only control exactly who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location that they see."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNewsMolt/idUKTRE5131Z620090204

They say they have "fined grained privacy controls" built in and that you can even turn it off.

I run GPS software on our fleet of drivers cell phones. I can start the application on a phone without the user knowing that it has started. Any programmer worth his salt has heard of back doors I'll bet my paycheck that the NSA has a key to this applications back door.

Good thing we only track bad guys...

[Somawas]

1. I'd gladly give up the convenience of a cell phone

not to have the NSA even have the ability to track me. Let's bring back pay phones.

[Vilis Veritas]

2. You make a good point.

If your phone is on, they can track you through triangulation of cell towers. This new application just makes it web browsable...;-)