The systems discusssed above have the potential to strip away locational privacy from individuals, making it possible for others to ask (and answer) the following sorts of questions by consulting the location databases:

• Did you go to an anti-war rally on Tuesday?
• A small meeting to plan the rally the week before?
• At the house of one “Bob Jackson”?
• Did you walk into an abortion clinic?
• Did you see an AIDS counselor?
• Have you been checking into a motel at lunchtimes?
• Why was your secretary with you?

This article on “Locational Privacy” does a terrific job of laying out the potential uses and abuses of computer systems tracking where you have been. It also suggests solutions, but it does less of a good job explaining the complex cryptography that could alleviate many people’s concerns.

We need more of this kind of work, so I’m doing my little bit to publicize it. I hope it reaches the ears of legislators, or at least their staff. And I also hope our governments recognize the need to pay attention to these issues and handle them the right way.