Why are TomTom so DumbDumb?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 07 May 2011 15:41

Opinion and Analysis

The idea of so-called personally non-identifiable data being sold off to anyone looks like it might be coming to an end, if the outrage over TomTom, Apple, Google, Facebook and anyone else playing fast and loose with personal information has anything to do with it.

 

With TomTom in the news for selling aggregated driver behaviour data to the authorities in various countries, including Australia, and the news that the public is justifiably outraged, will the trend to sell this data ever end?

Sadly, the answer is likely no, given the fact that all manner of information about us is being used and abused left, right and centre.

Indeed, unless 'we the people' actually tell the corporations misusing our data to stop, we'll keep on getting long 'EULA's' or 'end-user license agreement' that no-one properly reads or understands.

What next? An EULA that claims your first born?

The Sydney Morning Herald's report on the topic seems to have the local VP of Marketing, Chris Kearney, living in some different universe where selling data collected from its GPS devices is apparently 'ok", and if "we the people" have been fooled into agreeing to this, it looks like "we the people" want to damn well opt out of your information collecting nefariousness. 

Already there are claims that this information, collected from GPS devices that have been plugged into computers to 'synchronise' new maps, data, routes and other info, has been sold to the 'authorities' so they know where to set up speed traps.

Indeed, unlike the Aussie TomTom VP of Marketing who doesn't seem to have an issue with what TomTom is doing, TomTom's CEO, Harry Goddijin, has appeared on YouTube to apologise, as the SMH reported. 

Look, unless it is being made absolutely crystal clear what is being done with information that you, as an end user, have generated, it really does not seem to be moral, or OK, to just take it and then'¦ on-sell it, for whatever purpose, good or bad!

People are either going to be OK with corporations turning into 'big brother', or we are not.

Clearly, from the outrage expressed thus far, the people are NOT happy, Jan, to have their data misused in this manner, whether they have 'agreed' to it via an EULA, or not.

Thus, the giant wake-up call for the world's companies - and governments - to respect the privacy of individuals is ringing loud and clear.

Will the companies hear our cry, or will they ignore us?

No-one wants George Orwell's predictions to come true, but they way things are, we're already nearly there. Is it George Orwell, or Google Orwell? Facebook Orwell? All is not well.

Is this the world we want to leave to our children?

Finally, a big thanks to TomTom for actually being so DumbDumb, because people have woken up to the threat, are clearly, people are getting as mad as hell.

Soon, they won't want to take it anymore, and they certainly won't want to take a TomTom, either.