Re: Geolocation

I agree it's sensitive, but if you are abiding by the deidentification and definition of tracking, then the data you are keeping cannot be used to identify an individual user, user-agent, or device.  Maybe we need a note on the sensitivity of geolocation (in our informative companion material), but by mentioning it explicitly it gives the appearance of different (strangely, laxer) rules for this data.  I say laxer because there are very thinly populated postal codes, so the postal code with very little more information CAN identify someone.


On Jun 18, 2013, at 0:46 , Rigo Wenning <rigo@w3.org> wrote:

> Location is one of the most sensitive personal data. Just removing text 
> is no ok IMHO as people will look for hints on geolocation. That we do 
> not have provisions here is fine, but we then need non-normative text on 
> what to do. 
> 
> I think that fine grained geolocation use is incompatible with DNT:1 
> Relying on external laws and best practices is not appropriate. We need 
> a minimum protection here for those unregulated markets. 
> 
> So either use postal code, but not k-anonymity, at least not without 
> specifying a minimum area grid:
> http://www.cosic.esat.kuleuven.be/publications/article-1469.pdf
> 
> --Rigo
> 
> On Monday 17 June 2013 23:48:45 Shane Wiley wrote:
>> David,
>> 
>> I agree and many Codes of Conduct and separate regulatory guidelines
>> are emerging to manage this issue head-on (precise geolocation /
>> mobile privacy).  I would recommend we drop this from the DNT
>> conversation at this time.  To our credit, 2 years ago when we
>> started this document the external conversation on precise
>> geolocation collection and use hadn't really started in earnest.  Now
>> I'd argue those efforts have far exceeded our own so best to remove
>> this call out in the draft.
>> 
>> - Shane
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: David Singer [mailto:singer@apple.com]
>> Sent: Monday, June 17, 2013 4:44 PM
>> To: public-tracking@w3.org Mailing List
>> Subject: Geolocation
>> 
>> I am puzzled that we single out this particular datum, amongst all the
>> possible ones.  Isn't geolocation privacy best dealt with by the
>> geolocation specifications, and shouldn't the general issue be dealt
>> with by the limitation on tracking, i.e.
>> 
>> if I live as a hermit in a postal code with no other inhabitants, then
>> postal code DOES associate that data with me.
>> 
>> 
>> David Singer
>> Multimedia and Software Standards, Apple Inc.

David Singer
Multimedia and Software Standards, Apple Inc.

Received on Tuesday, 18 June 2013 18:20:05 UTC