How long before the US govt. will predict our behavior based on cell phone usage.
Scientists have found a way of predicting an individual's future movements by analysing information their mobile phone.
A team of computer scientists at the University of Birmingham successfully predicted future locations with an error margin of just 60ft, which has fuelled fears of privacy invasions.
While mobile phone networks can already track where a handset is in 'real time', the scientists have developed an algorithm - or formula - to forecast our future movements.
They compared data from one individual and their closest social network to predict a person’s future location based on places and areas visited in the past and the frequency of contact between those studied, The Sunday Times reported.
For example, if two individuals who have close contact visit a particular restaurant, it is highly likely that this is where they will be the next time they are both heading towards the area where the restaurant is.
This means that mobile phone providers will be able to predict the future whereabouts of their customers .
The study used mobile phone data from a group of 200 people living in the vicinity of Lausanne in Switzerland.
The researchers worked in data from an individual as well as their social network, thus predicting future movements based on the amount of times places have been visited in the past and the frequency of contact between the individuals being studied.
Dr. Mirco Musolesi, who led the study, said: ‘Information extracted from the usage of a mobile phone is an intriguing source of data about people behavior.'
He added: ‘We have shown that the accuracy of the prediction of an individual’s future locations could be improved if his or her previous movement and the mobility information of his or her social group are taken into account.’
He said that the formula may not reflect the general population and would be more accurate in cities where people’s moves tend to be synchronized.
Although it will be of great help to marketing companies and possibly law enforcements, privacy groups such as Big Brother Watch fear it will invade privacy.
‘This development highlights huge privacy concerns’, Emma Carr, deputy director of Big Brother Watch told the Sunday Times.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2190531/Mobile-phone-companies-predict-future-movements-users-building-profile-lifestyle.html
http://endthelie.com/2012/08/20/scientists-demonstrate-ability-to-accurately-predict-movements-based-on-mobile-phone-data/#axzz24BEVJgr4