I know, it’s an odd title for a post: “Cell Phone Creepiness”.  But when you read this article in BusinessWeek, I guarantee that you will be creep-ed out too.

We all know that cell phones can be tracked geographically.  There are even applications for that.  A reasonable use might be to track where your child is by their cell phone, although your child might not think it’s reasonable.  But consider this, the cell phone company knows who you are.  Couple that with the positioning, and they can determine where you are.  Maybe not so bad yet???

Now consider this.  According to the article, a group of researchers have been able to determine your approximate income, your likes and dislikes and even if you just got fired, all from the locations that you frequent.  They do this by using aggregate data on millions of users to determine patterns.  Depending upon your pattern, or if you break your pattern, they can deduce a lot about you.  Now that’s just creepy.  Add that to the fact that the cell phone provider knows who you are and your privacy is gone.  You might as well walk around naked with sign showing your net worth.

Think I’m exaggerating?  Read the article for yourself on BusinessWeek.

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Around the globe, the US has men and women serving in the army. These brave soldiers are defending our country under what can be very harsh conditions. While it can be argued that they chose to serve in the military freely, we still owe them our thanks. It’s up to us to make certain they have everything they need to be safe when deployed. Safety however, is not just making sure they have the military equipment, it also demands that we provide a way to let off steam. The USO does a great job at this with shows right at the front line. Remember, a soldier’s best weapon is his or her mind. If they are well cared for, they will be better prepared. Years ago, all the military had was R & R, letters from home and the USO. Now soldiers on the front line also have access to other entertainment via the Internet.

So what would a soldier want to access on the Internet. Believe it or not, one of the things they do is watch TV online. They can catch their favorite programs or watch sports. Most of the TV networks put their some of their newest episodes online. For others, they can access media sites that aggregate content. Another source for media is the online newspapers like the New York Times. Or maybe they want to read their home town paper online. Today most, if not all papers, have an online version. So between TV, sports, and newspapers, they can catch up on the latest US media and news.

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A recent PC World article highlights the problem of Privacy, or the lack of it, online.  According the article, the Federal Trade Commission will start looking at enforcing rules for websites.

The issue here is that most people do not even know what information they are giving up when they go to a website.  Tracking cookies, browser information and location are only part of the problem.  Users also enter in information into online forms without knowing where that information is going and how it might be used.  Typically reading a site’s privacy policy is a good first start.  Unfortunately many of these are vague and / or can be updated without notice.

A good rule is to not enter private information online unless you absolutely have to.  Even “good” companies might do bad things.  The article references how Sears was using information online.  They weren’t being evil or malicious, they just did not understand the big privacy picture.

To read the full article, please visit PC World.  However when you read the article, keep in mind this applies to the United States only.   Other countries around the world also have to implement these types of guidelines.  So if you visit a website hosted somewhere outside of the United States, then they have to abide by their country’s rules, not ours.

As we always warn people, do not take your privacy for granted.  It is up to you to protect it.  Privacy may be a right, but it’s not always one that is protected.

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