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Verizon to Include Warning Stickers About Location Data on Phones

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Verizon’s looking to put out a messy fire before it gets started as they are drawing up plans to include warning labels on devices to let buyers know about Android’s location data features. It’s no doubt in response to the uproar that has risen over the “discovery” that Google (and other software vendors) store anonymous location data in order to make things such as local search and navigation easier and faster to use.

Google was even sued by two women who are concerned for the privacy of everyone with an Android phone. Big Red doesn’t want to deal with any lawsuits, though, so they’re trying to nip any potential legal nuisances in the bud. They wrote a letter to the United States House of Representatives detailing what goes into the gathering of the day, how it’s used, and why it’s used. There’s a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo here that we probably shouldn’t care about.

And, to be honest, the sticker isn’t all that exciting, either. Nor do I think it’s the least bit necessary. No matter what phone or device you’re on, Google will allow you to immediately disable location services and they will never store information about where you’ve been.

And even if you do use it and have become concerned, it’s quite easy to get rid of that data – go to settings, applications, then manage applications and find Location services. (Name may be different depending on your device.) Clear data on that application and you can take that tin foil hat right off your head. Read the full document from Verizon here if you’re into that sort of thing. [via PhoneScoop]

PS: This sticker is going on the iPhone too. If you’re going to sue Google for something this stupid, why don’t you go ahead and give Apple, HP, RIM, Microsoft, and others a call?

Quentyn Kennemer
The "Google Phone" sounded too awesome to pass up, so I bought a G1. The rest is history. And yes, I know my name isn't Wilson.

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13 Comments

  1. i dont mind they tracking my phone, like what could the worst it will happen? steve jobs come over to my house and say Hi?

    1. god forbid he finds you…. he might try to sell you an iPhone 4 and tell you it is the best thing since slice bread. or instead of telling what is good about the device he will just tell u why every other product is horrible. ” Did you know that android isn’t an iPhone? yeah… horrible i know…..” -Steve Blowjobs

    2. *knock knock* Hi my name is Steve Jobs lol

  2. “Dear customer, you’re an idiot so we’re going to hold your hand now while we cross the street. Careful of the step, we don’t want you to fall down and skin your knee. Hey! Stop drinking the milk out of the carton, use a glass. What? Were you born in a barn? Close that door behind you.”

    Yeah, litigation sucks.

  3. And in other news, internet website such as “Failbook” are seeing a major upward trend in user-submitted photos depicting humorous auto-correct slip-ups that make people appear either stupid, immature or perverted. So virtual keyboard program developers such as Swype plan to release preemptive warnings that there program will anonymously collect user data input for predictive word suggestions.

    1. It’s a conspiracy, just like viruses and anti-virus programs. The owners of Failbook, also own Swype.

      Step 1. They program the keyboard software to intentionally make, randomized, comedic mistakes based on a very complex algorithm.
      Step 2. Users notice their text message, intended for grandma, bears a vague resemblance to a cock joke, and upload it to failbook.com
      Step 3. ???
      Step 4. Profit

    2. Verizon should come up with a sticker that everyone can place on their device ABOUT THEIR LTE NETWORK and it’s failure to switch properly from 4g to 3g. Or how about the fact that you can wake up on any given day and just not have NO 4G/LTE service at all….I will forever say this everyday i can….PISS ON VERIZON AND ASS T&T

      1. 1. They’ve put out a fix for the 3G/4G switch, so that is now irrelevant.
        2. They’ve stated they’re working on the no 4G service, and I’m fairly certain have gotten it fully worked out by now. Shit happens. They covered their ass in a timely manner when they realized they had a problem. Wouldn’t you?

  4. People worry way to much this is not a big deal

  5. The content in this cup may be hot…. Use caution!

  6. You should read the Engadget article instead. It says this is a response to two disruptive politicians sending letters to all the carriers over some New York Times article, months ago.

    Somehow it is a-okay to wiretap phones and subpoena location records when the government wants to track you, but it’s some heinous crime when the carriers do it and the politicians want to look disconnected from being involved. Mor hypocrisy in the works. They have nothing better to do than to deem every little thing some invasion of privacy, but “sexual acts” are not a private matter anymore. Privacy means nothing in the US.

  7. This is why we can’t have nice things. RTFM! All these morons end up watering everything down so much that we might as well just buy an iPhone (and then sue because we’re morons). Does someone really need to hold our hand through every technical decision we have to make?

  8. big deal.

    think about all the asshole cops who know were you are.

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