Monday, July 30, 2012

What your phone company knows about you


This highly informative (and very worrying) talk was given by Malte Spitz, a German politician of the Green Party, at a recent TED conference.  It's well worth your time to watch it.




You can read more about the problem, including viewing an animation of how much his phone company knew about Mr. Spitz, by clicking here.

I knew that all sorts of people, companies and agencies were watching almost everyone . . . but I never knew their information about us was so detailed and intrusive.  The question is, how can it be reversed - if at all?





Peter

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Around the 7:17 point of this talk this makp of talking looks like the way clusters of galaxies are grouped in the universe. I wonder if there is a connection between the two on how they are generated.
a link to this is http://www.gemini.edu/images/stories/websplash/websplash2004-13/chdm_big.jpg
I gives a 3d picture look of clusters of galaxies.

Anonymous said...

The word is map not makp. stupid fingers and no spell check.

Old NFO said...

This is not unusual Peter, EVERY phone company in the world does this... It's how they used to charge the phone calls, and there is a 'system' called SS7 that is used to make sure not only the number, but the IP address, etc. is all passed via each call.

Anonymous said...

Isn't the Green Party the one with a Socialist agenda to force people to conserve, based on THEIR criteria regarding what works?
Methinks this, while it may be true, is another class warfare rant.
('Our' big green gov't will have THE solution.)

trailbee said...

I liked this talk, but caught myself thinking ... two years ago my phone co. sent out a flyer informing us in the hinterlands, that our access would become limited due to broadband deployment decrease. Within the last year, our reception has deteriorated. Then the Administration began making noises about limiting internet traffic. All in all, I would favor total internet access and better reception.
I am positive the gentleman is correct, but I'm only an insolent blogger, not an anarchist. However, in camped quarters such as in Europe, this could pose a personal threat.