Google mobile phone tracking

The U.S. group, is pushing further the concept of geolocation by applying it to individuals. The new Latitude, presented as a feature of the mobile version of the mapping service Google Maps, to locate in real time his friends through their mobile phone . Once identified, users of this service are then represented as a small icon on map Google Maps.

Some highlight the benefits of such an application, such as the possibility for parents to check at any time the whereabouts of their children. But others complain of loss of privacy that may induce the use of Google Latitude, which could then be described as software espionage.

But the Mountain View company is reassuring: “Everything about Google Latitude is optional. You can not only control who can see your location, but also decide where they will locate you.” Google ensures that the user entered in the Latitude Service at any time, can activate the “hidden”, so that contacts can’t locate him or her.

The U.S. group is not the first to have attempted a foray into the world of individuals geolocation The operator Verizon Wireless offers a similar service called Loopt, the name of the eponymous company, which include the iPhone.

Launched in 27 countries, including France, the Latitude is compatible with most BlackBerry smartphones, with the mobile OS under Windows Mobile 5.0 (and higher) and Symbian S60. Google also states that this service will soon be available for the Android platform for iPhone, iPod Touch, as well as for mobile Java (J2ME) devices such as Sony Ericsson.