| Yahoo has launched new technology making it | | | | code or exact location). Users must also to reply |
| easier for users to get website information | | | | to an email every 45 days to confirm they are |
| personalised to their current location. However, | | | | still fine with their location being monitored and |
| privacy advocates say the search engine's | | | | shared. (Source: bbc.co.uk) |
| safeguards aren't enough to protect web surfers | | | | Problem is, each service allowed access to |
| from misuse by third-party organisations. | | | | personal details will have its own privacy policies. |
| The new tool, FireEagle, is primarily designed for | | | | You can ask Yahoo to wipe its records about you |
| mobile devices such as handheld PCs and smart | | | | at any time, but that won't affect any details |
| phones. The idea is that the system will be open | | | | other websites have already stored. |
| so that any website you visit can use the | | | | The FireEagle service does have one particularly |
| information about your location without needing | | | | exciting (if controversial) feature: you can not only |
| separate software or coding. | | | | temporarily switch off tracking, but can also give |
| A reported 50 or more sites have already begun | | | | out false details. Officially, that's a security |
| using the scheme, including Dopplr (which links | | | | measure, but it's not hard to imagine cheating |
| regular backpackers so they can meet up on their | | | | spouses or people pulling a 'sickie' taking |
| travels), and Brightkite, a social networking site | | | | advantage of this feature. |
| which uses FireEagle to help users see which of | | | | At the moment, Yahoo doesn't plan to use the |
| their friends might be in town. (Source: yahoo.net) | | | | technology for any of its own applications. |
| Naturally, Yahoo has installed plenty of privacy | | | | However, if FireEagle catches on it could create a |
| barriers. Users can select which sites and | | | | valuable market for advertising based on precise |
| applications have access to their location, and how | | | | location, such as promoting a restaurant to people |
| precisely they want to be tracked (by city, zip | | | | nearby. |