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  • From: Jeremy Portzer <jeremyp AT pobox.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] cellphone deadzone map
  • Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 10:55:37 -0500

On Fri, 2003-10-31 at 09:46, Tanner Lovelace wrote:
> Ilan Volow wrote:
>
> >
> > To evade the catch-22 of needing a signal to record the location of a
> > signal that doesn't exist, you'd either have to rely on the cell phone's
> > GPS (which most phones don't yet have) or have the phone record the last
> > location it had a viable signal. With enough people's phones
> > automatically sending in data on the last location where their phones
> > had a decent signal, the cellular providers can average that data out
> > and get a rough idea as to the shape of the dead zone.
>
> Of course the privacy implications of this are just incredible.
> Do you really want the cell phone companies knowing exactly where
> you went? It's bad enough now with the new mandated 911 service.
>

The privacy implications are there anyway with the E-911 service, which
will result in GPS receivers in all cell phones. Why would adding this
additional service be an more of a "privacy implication" ? The cell
phone companies will already have full access to exactly where their
customers are.

The real question is how the courts will treat this -- will they be very
careful in allowing subpeonas for this information?

--Jeremy

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