Back when I was doing my predictions for the year, I forecast that “privacy” would be the word of the year, alongside Carlo’s prediction of “Open”. And the first few months of 2008 seem to be bearing this out, whether it’s a story about another load of confidential data being stolen or lost, or watchdogs pointing out the dangers.
There’s an article in The International Herald Tribune yesterday, which neatly summarises the current state of thinking in the mobile business. And if it’s in the IHT, it’s mainstream thinking and not restricted to a few geeks and bloggers.
The stimulus for the article seems to be Wang Jianzhou, the chief executive of China Mobile, breaking the Omerta of the mobile industry by pointing out the elephant sitting fatly in the room full of leading business people and politicians
“We know who you are, but also where you are,”
he said about location-based advertising
In a country like China, I’m sure this had many of the audience feeling very uncomfortable indeed. He could have added that they also know what you say and sms too, if he’d want to really emphasise the “knowledge is power” mantra.
I think that the privacy battle will come to a head over location based services, mainly because most people get a little freaked about having their movements tracked by corporations and governments alike.
How long will it be before politicians or regulators start trying to get involved?
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