IT sector must act to allay privacy fears

If the surveillance society becomes a reality, it will happen because technology has allowed it

One of the London free newspapers last week trumpeted the headline: “Google puts a spy in your pocket”.

The story was about the search firm’s latest application for mobile phones, called Latitude, which allows users’ location to be tracked and helps find local services.

The software is a great example of the sort of location-based mapping services that will only become more popular.

So why all the fuss? Simply because it is seen as a better story to focus on the concerns of privacy campaigners than on the benefits of an innovative new service.

Of course it is right that people are made aware of the potential downside of any new technology. But Google’s software is entirely based on users opting in and making a conscious decision whether or not to use the system. Nobody is forcing them.

This is a perfect example of how the privacy debate has swung too far away from the many good things that technology can achieve.

A House of Lords committee last week slammed the government over its unrestrained use of data collection and surveillance. They were of course absolutely right to do so. Because it is equally true that the exploitation of technology to intrude on privacy has gone too far.

But the debate seems incapable of staying focused on finding a middle ground whereby personal data can be used wisely to deliver better services, and the authorities are made subject to reasonable restrictions on how they can use that information.

What is missing is the element of choice. Foolishly or otherwise, the younger generation posts personal details on the web with abandon –­ but they do it out of choice.

Conversely, what choice do citizens have about how government uses the vast databases it has built up? Very little.

If the surveillance society becomes a reality, it will happen because technology has allowed it. So technology ­ – and its practitioners ­ – must engage with the debate and deliver solutions that ensure we still have a choice.