Privacy advocates are already concerned about Google Latitude — a free service launched earlier this week that allows smartphone users to share information about their locations. Users of Google Gears and Google Chrome also can choose to automatically share laptop or desktop locations with no handset required, the search giant said.
However, London-based Privacy International says it has identified several potential methods for covertly tracking the locations of mobile devices without the knowledge or consent of their users.
“Many people will see Latitude as a cool product, but the reality is that Google has yet again failed to deliver strong privacy and security,” said Privacy International Director Simon Davies. “The company has a long way to go before it can capture the trust of phone users.”
Covert Scenarios
Google sees Latitude as a boon for individuals who want to provide family members, friends and business associates with up-to-date information on their locations. To address privacy concerns, the search giant said it has adopted an opt-in policy under which both the mobile-phone user and the tracker must grant consent.
Google also said it has taken great care to build “fine-grained privacy controls” into the application. “Everything about Latitude is opt-in,” said Vic Gundotra, a vice president of engineering on the Google mobile team. “You not only control exactly who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location that they see.”
Furthermore, the Google Latitude privacy menu gives the user the ability to either detect and share the handset’s location automatically, set the device’s location manually, hide its location, or turn off Latitude altogether. Still, Privacy International sees several holes in Google’s privacy strategy.
For example, the privacy watchdog said enterprises could provide their workers with phones on which Google Latitude has already been enabled, allowing the movements of staff members to be tracked by…