Location tracking on cell phones raises privacy concerns

[Commentary] All new cell phones can track a person's geographic location. Government regulators required the features as a safety measure to help authorities find individuals in the case of an emergency. But software developers have been able to use that geographic data for many purposes other than just emergencies. Thanks to their efforts, many phones these days can provide turn-by-turn directions, show you the nearest supermarket or track your latest bike ride. Such capabilities have caught the eye of marketers and corporations, many of whom have started to build location-based applications for the iPhone and other devices. Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Bank of America and other retailers offer smart-phone applications that can tell users the location of their nearest store, allow them to place an order and even pay for the order using their phone. But that's just the first step. Marketers are particularly excited about being able to target ads at particular consumers based on their geographic location. Imagine getting an ad on your phone from Starbucks offering you $1 off your favorite drink right as you are walking by a Starbucks shop. Or imagine getting discount offers from area restaurants when you check into a hotel. Marketers argue that such ads would be mutually beneficial for companies and consumers, allowing companies to offer consumers marketing information when it's most pertinent to them. But privacy advocates such as John Morris, general counsel of the Center for Democracy and Technology, worry that such location-based services are ripe for abuse.