The commercial geolocation

    If you wanted to receive discounts while shopping you were accustomed to present your loyalty card in store or bring coupons received in the mailbox. Now it will be easier and faster. American wireless carriers like Verizon and AT&T recently launched programs allowing customers to receive rewards based on information their smartphones share with the carriers:

• AT&T Alerts uses geolocation and sends the message to a reduction of its trading partner as Gap and Zales, when the consumer is nearby.
• Verizon Selects uses as its competitor geolocation but goes further. It uses web browsers and mobile data applications to create personal advertising. For wireless carriers’ leaders it simply allows consumers to obtain more attractive offers currently. Moreover according to them only those who wish to receive offers receive them.

    Although these companies claim to not sharing private data, privacy groups complain harmful practices for the individual liberties and privacy on the Internet. Indeed, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center this kind of commercial practice does not ensure anonymity. The program could let escape information about subscribers, being hacked or data could be sold by the wireless carriers. All this would impair the privacy of the Internet users.