This is really cool... and scary.

Read the article, but mostly click through to the interactive tool at ZEIT Online.

http://www.businessinsider.com/...rom-phone-metadata-2013-7

yeah, the insurance industry has been trying to do something similar with car insurance for years now by placing devices in a car (except that obviously the customer has a choice and knows exactly what is being shared and how it is being used).

It's not that scary. Simply turn off your cell phone and they
can't track you :) yeah yeah I know..

it's generally a hard sell to customers btw. Even though it's being used so that someone can "prove" they are a better driver than everyone else in their demographic, people generally don't like giving up their privacy for it.

You do realize that cell phone compqnies have been able to do this even long before phones were even able to text and use internet. Anyone working at a cell company would have access to this info even lowly care agents when they lookup your call details, obviously it wasnt with the precision that can be done now but they could still tell you what tower your were connected through. When text messaging was introduced they could read them. People were just less concerned about it back then

http://www.priv.gc.ca/...ce/fs-fi/02_05_d_15_e.asp

However anything you do on behalf of an employer or while at work is not protected apparently.

It also means that HR can't tell people when my birth day is without me giving them explicit permission.

Of course that doesn't stop US agencies from collecting data that can be publically obtained on the net or through other covert means..

meh..

its been possible to track mobiles since the year 0
the only thing thats improved since is accuracy and "richness" of the data involved - by its nature, everything goes through networks that are routinely actively monitored "to ensure good quality of service"

and yes, i've known it was possible since the early 1990s, time to get over it i think

it's $350 for me to turn off my cellphone. I'm actually considering it because of it gets a poor signal. they must not be monitoring my quality of service. course, maybe if i allowed it to use my location, then they will reward me with a better signal.

insurance should cost the same to everybody no matter what. driving history is just an excuse for them to steal more money from people. it's not like they can actually make their money back from the people who get into accidents. if they could afford to get into accidents, they wouldn't need the insurance.

'insurance should cost the same to everybody no matter what.'

No

you're absolutely correct. people shouldn't be required to purchase it at all.

I've been in the mobile industry and on the technical side for 13 years. I helped the DEA, GBI, ATF etc. run a multi-state geo and time sync'd operation a decade ago. So I'm very familiar with the history of available data.

What was interesting about this visualization and the article written along with it is the power that what used to be very disconnected raw data now have with much better analysis, visualization and context aware tools. As the article and ACLU argue, the capability to build highly informed and contextual sociopolitical maps is really getting cool (or scary).

I find the adaptation of the technology fascinating. BTW - "astonishing" was from the article, not my term. ;)

If you don't want the government tracking your whereabouts then you should just drop off the grid and strictly use face to face communications and run the risk of them having to use a very expensive drone to keep tabs on you. Or maybe dropping a hellfire in your lap while you're at lunch with your buddy.

I wonder what the metadata would reveal about Anthony Wiener? I'll just bet that's a hoot.

Eh...who actually takes their cell phone with them? I leave the stupid thing in my apartment at least 2-3 days a week and forget to charge is so it's off for days on end to.

i do. it has an alarm clock.

Good thing I don't believe in phones, computers, or electricity.