TomTom kicked up a privacy duststorm last week by admitting it had sold users travel data to Dutch police so they could better place speed cameras. According to David Ramli at the Financial Review, TomTom Australia is set to sell your data to the highest bidder later this year.
It’s not really a secret that TomTom has been collecting journey data for itself over the past few years, in order to offer better traffic advice through its iQ Routes function, but according to the Ramli piece, that information is set to be sold off.
TomTom claims it is to try and better our road networks, but ultimately the information could be used by police to place speed cameras, marketers to place advertising, among other things.
TomTom are adamant that all the information is anonymous, but that doesn’t really matter. Among the information they are selling are start and end destinations, as well as trip information. What does it matter to a criminal with access to this information if they don’t know your name if they know precisely what time you leave for work every day and the address you leave from?
TomTom’s other excuse is that sharing the information was opt-in, although it’s self-evident that most people who opted in would have done so for the benefit of better traffic information for themselves, not for TomTom to sell their info to someone who would take advantage of that.
Jim
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 12:27 PMWell i wont be buying a tomtom any time soon!
This is a disgusting abuse of customer data and they should be held accountable for it
krnageskillz
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 12:40 PMThis is a joke, first it was the iPhone tracking your every move and now Tom Tom to sell data showing where you have travelled? Big Brother is watching you!!! The book 1984 should have been called 2011 and then it would be right on the money…
Donny
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 12:57 PMbah.. storm in a teacup. I think its a good idea.. if speed cameras are put on the routes most travelled (and they already are), there will just be an update for the gps anyway. Who cares about advertising.. safer roads, or whatever. Perhaps better managed local roads (which aren’t currently monitored)! That would be a huge boost.
Perhaps there’s something in the knowing of start and finish coordinates, but that data will be so incredibly noisy.. I mean, duh… all the cars start from different houses everywhere, funnel into metropolitan motorways, and then to a destination.. then in reverse on the way back. That isn’t groundbreaking news.
Aptar
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 1:15 PMProbably nothing new but only coming out now. I guess TomTom wont be getting my business anytime soon.
Dave I
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 1:22 PMI’m pretty sure that TomTom discards the start and end of the journey for privacy reasons. A friend was a developer at TomTom and this is what he told me. The knowledge that TT get from the info is invaluable to them, especially for getting one-way road info and new roads that are opened.
Selling the data to third parties is a bit rich though — unless it was in the T&C that people agreed to.
Owen
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 1:36 PMTo think I was considering buying that $150 5″ TomTom from Dick Smith. HAH.
Peter
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 1:48 PMAt least it’s voluntary, I still prefer Tomtom to their competitors. And if you don’t like speed cameras, then don’t speed. I used to live in a.black spot and had inconsiderate drivers nearly hit me daily.
IanPerthWA
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 1:56 PMGoogle, Apple and now TomTom. Don’t these people have any sense of customer consideration and business ethics? TomTom is GoneGone!So far my experience with SatNavs has been very spotty. Here in Western Australia I’ve been sent on a fools errand to Albany when I wanted Gosnells (a difference of 200-300kms), failed to find streets that have been known for years and sent the wrong way down one-way streets. Let’s not talk about the inability to pronounce place names. For this the SatNav manufacturers want about $Au100 per annum. For $Au30 I can buy a street directory book every year and pocket the difference. At least the directory doesn’t sell my travel information without disclosure.
Wef
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 3:17 PMmore like $Au150 if your map is slightly old, like 12 months out of date! Ripoff! I can buy a new Kogan GPS (h/w & map) for less than getting my TT map up to date!!!
But I wonder if they’re any better with my private information.
mark
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 12:26 PMOr use a Nokia phone that includes free voice guided navigation and free map updates for as long as you own the phone
J.Heerma
Friday, May 6, 2011 at 3:32 PMAs far as I understand the data collected by TomTom was collected in such a way that TomTom did not know where the info came from and the info was sold to the police as info gathered at a particular point without giving any indication of the identity of the car of person involved. I have been using my TomTom througout Europe and in Australia for about 5 years. I’ve never finished up at the bottom of a river or on top of Mt Everest. I’ve often taken a wrong turn, too early or too late, but always ended up at the right address.
The Gremlin
Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 10:40 AMI don’t get how come people don’t mind. I mean, Tom Tom is making money off you, and giving you nothing back.
Sure it costs you nothing, but its valuable to them, why are you giving it away? Its like arguing that digital goods (software, movies music) should be free because one more copy costs the creator nothing. They will not give it to you for free. why should you?