Thursday 10 June 2010

Google Street Map collects wireless internet details

Whether you are surprised by the revelation that Google has stored details of everyone's wireless networks while it went around the planet taking images for it's street map system or not, the issue of storing data is a topic which is only just waking up.

OFEC specialise in database driven websites such as membership management systems and so we know about storing personal data. We were one of the first firms, ahead of amazon, to start using suggested products to website visitors based on what people were looking at and buying.

The reason that people have not said much about the use of this data is that it's anonymous, so we like the advantages that the use of this data brings and see no downside. Once people feel realise the data can be linked back to them they feel threatened because they don't know where this is heading.

This is my first post on this subject, I'd welcome your feedback on where you think this is heading, how website should make use of this sort of data and the things website owners should do to make sure they don't misuse their position or compromise their visitors.

Feel free to check my twitter feed on www.twitter.com/ofec