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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday April 08 2020, @09:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the I-see-you dept.

Senators raise privacy questions about Google's COVID-19 tracker:

Two US senators want to make sure Google's COVID-19 tracker isn't infringing on millions of people's privacy. In a letter sent to Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday, Sens. Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal raised questions about how the tech giant's tracker is ensuring that the location data it's collecting and presenting stays confidential.

The Trump administration has called on tech companies to provide data for tracking the coronavirus pandemic, hoping that logs of people's locations can give insight on social distancing and the disease's spread. Location data has been used in South Korea and China to help contain and track COVID-19 cases, and the US government is looking to do the same as it deals with the pandemic.

[...] Last Friday, Google announced its own COVID-19 tracker, using location data it's collected from its millions of users to help health officials make policy decisions and measure social distancing effects.

The data is collected from people who have their Location History setting activated on their phones, which is typically off by default. In its announcement, the tech giant said no personally identifiable information is collected for this tracker.

Still, Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, have their concerns with Google using a massive amount of location data for tracking the outbreak.

The two lawmakers raised points about how researchers have easily de-anonymized location data several times, since the datasets are often tied to frequently visited spots like homes, workplaces and places of worship.

"Location data sharing carries with it myriad risks, and while we commend Google's efforts to assist in combatting the coronavirus pandemic, we caution you against steps that risk undermining your users' privacy," the senators wrote in the letter.


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  • (Score: 5, Touché) by SomeGuy on Wednesday April 08 2020, @11:39AM (4 children)

    by SomeGuy (5632) on Wednesday April 08 2020, @11:39AM (#980238)

    Didn't you get the memo? We are all supposed to give up our rights and freedoms to battle today's evil virus, because you can't be too safe, think of the children, pollywannacacker.

    In a few more days, the TV news will be out there publicly shaming anyone who does not have this tracker.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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       Insightful=1, Interesting=1, Touché=1, Total=3
    Extra 'Touché' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by BsAtHome on Wednesday April 08 2020, @01:46PM (3 children)

    by BsAtHome (889) on Wednesday April 08 2020, @01:46PM (#980247)

    So, they'll be shaming all those (old) people for not having those tracker gadgets? Those (old) people, who do not know how to use a computer? Those (old) people who decided against the use of such technology because they do not need it?

    So, instead of shaming them, maybe you ought to say directly and honestly to those (old) people, that they are supposed to die? Or, better yet, we will make some camp out in the desert, where we can concentrate all those, who refuse to comply with the trackerjackersociety.

    The slippery slope has been waxed and polished by a viral outbreak. Please refrain from crawling up the slope. You are supposed to slide and be happy. And, yes, please think of the children, they certainly like riding the slope when properly waxed and polished!

    • (Score: 0, Troll) by SomeGuy on Wednesday April 08 2020, @05:17PM (2 children)

      by SomeGuy (5632) on Wednesday April 08 2020, @05:17PM (#980313)

      Also (old) people who like to take their time shopping without keeping people waiting in a line outside, (old) people who like or need to pay with cash, (old) people who like to freely go to "non essential" places and can do so without causing problems because they are responsible adults, (old) people who don't like how the US feels like it is turning in to former Soviet Russia, and (old) people who want things to go back to the way they were soon instead of infinitely extending this shit.

      • (Score: 3, Touché) by BsAtHome on Wednesday April 08 2020, @06:19PM (1 child)

        by BsAtHome (889) on Wednesday April 08 2020, @06:19PM (#980325)

        Oh, those darn (old) people, who just are annoying. Those (old) people who we cannot tolerate. Yes, lets kill all (old) people and make room for future (old) people. Now, lets define (old) people.

        [lets say 35 is old; I guess that solves overpopulation too]

        • (Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 08 2020, @08:26PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 08 2020, @08:26PM (#980371)

          BsAtHome satirically wrote:

          Oh, those darn (old) people, who just are annoying. Those (old) people who we cannot tolerate. Yes, lets kill all (old) people and make room for future (old) people. Now, lets define (old) people.

          [lets say 35 is old; I guess that solves overpopulation too]

          Removing everyone over 35 also solves the problems caused by electing a bad POTUS.