267) Where We Are

(Image from Standard Manufacturing.)

Whenever I open the browser on my Android phone, a small window pops up. It says, "Google would like to access your location. Allow?" The options I'm presented with are, "Yes," "No, thanks," and "Cancel."

It's worth noting that I'm still asked in the first place. As far as mobile browsing is concerned, we are still in the opt-in phase. No doubt there will be a day where geolocation will be opt-out, the default, just as so many other things are (browser history and other privacy settings).

My choice is always "Cancel." Call me a late adopter (shudder), but I'm still of the mindset that geolocation is creepy. I realize all the benefits that it could potentially bring, but the idea of anyone - even a company I love (no sarcasm) - knowing where I am feels, well, weird for lack of a better term.

But I hit "Cancel," not "No." Somewhere in the not so distant future, I think the benefits of geolocation will become more concrete, and our mindset will shift. Little by little, it won't be strange to allow my location to be known. And when that time comes, I want the option to be tracked to still be available to me. Thus, "Cancel."

What's funny is thinking about who, exactly, would know where I am.
I can understand politicians, celebrities, criminals on the run and other public figures being worried about geolocation. And while the layperson has every right to his own privacy, who, really, cares where we are? It's not as if there's one guy pinging my mobile who will use the knowledge that I'm heading NW from Bleecker and Bowery to his twisted advantage. It's easy to flatter ourselves in imagining such a scenario. In reality, a series of remote computers will know our locations. Something out there in the ethos, 10,000 feet up will know where we are.

The answer to who cares where we are is, of course, brands. Advertisers. Researchers like me who want to know where people are hanging out, spending their time and money. Yes, there's a creepy factor. But in theory, is it that different from using a rewards card at a grocery store that tracks your purchases and then sends you relevant coupons based on what you buy? Or a credit card company knowing your purchasing habits month to month?

It's amazing what we can get used to, as long as it's gradual. Soon I won't think twice about hitting, "Yes."


(Photo from Hand Held Museum.)