Location services
Technologies such as GPS, mobile networks and WiFi hotspots can create location-enabled services that bring many benefits to mobile users.
These services can provide important safety benefits. For example, they can help emergency services reach accidents, allow blind people to identify their location and enable families of Alzheimer's sufferers to help them if they become disoriented (see accessibility).
The use of location capabilities also opens up a wide range of other services. These services can contribute to more efficient working by mobile workers, such as taxi drivers or couriers, or simply to a more user-friendly experience for applications and services that depend upon inputting location information, particularly where the user interface is restricted, such as on a mobile phone. But location-enabled services also raise concerns about privacy and consent.
For example, in 2007 Vodafone Malta had to challenge in Court a ruling that would have given police access to the mobile identities of all users in a range of locations to help investigate a series of arson attacks. The Court ruled in our favour against disproportionate requests from authorities.
Vodafone's policy on location services
Vodafone classifies location-enabled services into active and passive services. Active location services are those that are initiated directly by the mobile phone user. An example of such a service is: "Where’s my nearest chemist/cash machine/cinema etc?". A response from the location service provider would supply this information to the customer in the form of a map or directions, for example, based on the customer's location. Passive location services enable the location of one user to be tracked by another, once the service has been enabled.
Our policy on location-based services aims to minimise the risk of unauthorised location surveillance, ensuring customers cannot be tracked by another person or application without their prior consent. It includes guidelines on how consent should be obtained, used and managed to ensure clarity, transparency and fairness to the person being located. We are currently reviewing our policy in light of recent market developments, including the increased market penetration of mobile with GPS technology.