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We might have been donning the tinfoil hats with our recent GPS feature, but privacy is certainly a legitimate concern when it comes to location based services. Thing is, GPS might not be the most likely method to track you without your knowledge. We’ve long known that Bluetooth doesn’t provide very secure file transfers. It turns out, though, that it might be the easiest way to keep tabs on people. Excuse me while I go add another aluminum layer to my hat.
Vassilis Kostakos at the University of Bath in the UK placed four Bluetooth receivers in the city’s centre. Over four months, his team tracked 10,000 Bluetooth phones and was able to “capture and analyse people’s encounters” in pubs, streets and shops.
There are a few reasons this is problematic. The first is that more and more people are using Bluetooth. Because many states require a hands-free unit while driving, people are picking up the devices left and right. And they’re not just using them in cars, either. I do a decent amount of my writing from Starbucks, and I see people seemingly talking to themselves — but actually talking to a Bluetooth headset — all the time.
The second is that tracking is super easy. All you need is a PC and the receiver. I can’t imagine it’s an expensive setup. And you know what? I’d bet that someone could probably rig up a receiver on a PDA, making tracking even easier.
It looks like you can’t go anywhere without someone else knowing nowadays.
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