Location Forum Launches Data Privacy Council

Alpharetta, GA (PRWEB) June 20, 2012

Responding to widespread concerns regarding the privacy of personal location data, the Location Forum has created a Location Privacy Council to steer and drive a range of initiatives in this critical area. The Council is comprised of experts in privacy, policy and location data management and will produce guidelines and other materials to enable enterprises to gain the advantages of using location data without jeopardizing the privacy rights of individuals.
“Location data privacy is an important topic that needs to be addressed, remarked Arthur Berrill, Vice President Technology, DMTI Spatial. It’s the job of this diverse council to comprehensively examine the facts from each of our unique perspectives and create guidelines that reflect the needs and concerns of both the enterprise and the individual. I’m thrilled to be part of such an important group and look forward to the positive impact we’ll have on the industry.”
The first sets of materials are available now and include:

• A Position Paper entitled “The Elephant in the Room” discusses the collision between the technology and business drivers behind location data usage and associated privacy issues. It is available in the online edition of the LBx Journal.
• Top 10 Reasons Location Matters to Your Business is the Forum’s Manifesto on the value of location, its importance to businesses prospering and competing and why Location Data Privacy is an issue that touches every business.
• Executive Guide on Location Data Privacy - an in depth report examining the forces leading towards a tipping point where the benefits of using location technology and applications collide with 4 key business problems associated with location data privacy management as well as proposed governance solutions

“Most people understand the need for privacy when it comes to financial or medical records but location data has so far been overlooked, explained Natasha Léger, CEO, The Location Forum. With social media and mobile devices being pervasive, a treasure trove of location information is being created every minute with few rules or restrictions on how it can be collected, manipulated and used. Our goal is to find that middle ground where the interests of businesses and consumers can be balanced.”

In the next 30 days, the Council will release a comprehensive Primer that will examine the full scope of the issue along with a Glossary. Following that will come a series of Guidelines, Recommendations and Best Practice for how best to manage Location Data Privacy so businesses can leverage the advantages it brings without alienating customers or employees and risking the wrath of regulators.

Combined, these documents will provide a clear and complete picture including barriers facing the industry and the requirements for a solution. The Forum’s ultimate goal is to create a Privacy Mark for businesses to use that would act as a “pledge” to adhere to certain privacy standards and policies in order to build trust and confidence among users.
Companies participating in the Privacy Council include:

• Skyhook
• Aster Data
• DMTI Spatial
• Nokia
• Traxxit Technologies
• R.D. Offutt
• Georillas
• Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Innovation

The Location Forum is a global, member driven organization that provides leadership for businesses looking to capitalize on location technologies, services, and applications. It functions as a "business lab" where executives and professionals can network, share ideas, collaborate, and solve problems so they are better able to manage the opportunities and challenges of using location. For more information go to http://www.thelocationforum.org

The Privacy Council is a virtual collaboration group that hosts monthly Executive Roundtables where members and invited experts discuss, debate and share knowledge on specific aspects of Location Data Privacy.

Contact
Jim Warner
COO
The Location Forum
jwarner(at)thelocationforum(dot)org
+1 770-663-8898

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