Big Brother On Broadband

Broadband search engine Google will enable users to keep tabs on friends and family

A new era of Big Brother Broadband could be dawning for broadband technology.

Broadband search engine Google has launched a new facility called Google Latitude.

The ‘Latitude’ concept, which has been met with opposition from privacy campaigners, allows broadband users to track the location of friends and family to within a few metres.

The broadband feature was made available on February 4, 2009 on millions of mobile phones that can access broadband, such as the Blackberry. Within weeks, Google hopes to release a version that will also work through broadband on computers as well.

Although Latitude has optional privacy settings, the broadband technology has whipped up a stormy debate among privacy campaigners.

Broadband – an ‘electronic leash on children’?

The technology, for example, could be used to spy on spouses, uncover white lies and may be welcomed by parents who want to keep tabs on their children.

Debating the latter issue, John Carr, secretary of the Children’s Charities Coalition on Internet Safety, raised the question: “Is a mobile phone becoming an electronic leash on children?” He added: “You can see situations where this kind of thing might be useful, but it is also kind of imprisoning children even more.”

Google argues that Latitude is an ‘opt-in’ facility. Both parties using broadband have to agree to be ‘spied on’ and privacy settings can also be altered.

However, Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said the security on the broadband technology was appalling. Speaking to the Guardian he said: “Google is naive if it thinks there are adequate controls on this feature.”