Privacy Lobby Slams Google Latitude

Google Latitude, which uses GPS to allow you to track people from your mobile phone of desktop PC, is under fire from privacy campaigners. They say that Google Latitude could be used to spy on unsuspecting users.

Latitude is a free tool that works from smartphones and PCs. With Latitude installed, users can use GPS and Google Maps to track other friends who are using the service. Crucially, to be tracked, people have to sign up for Google Latitude. They can also limited exactly who can track them, and where they can be tracked.

This has not placated privacy campaigners, however. Privacy International director Simon Davies said: “Many people will see this as a cool technology but the reality is it will be a privacy minefield. I would be concerned about any integrated use across Google services as their security is so poor and it’s becoming the world most pervasive system.”

Read more: pcworld.com