Google has unveiled
Latitude, a Google Maps for mobiles application that allows you
to report your approximate location (or a different one) to friends
using your mobile phone in 27 countries, including the UK, and 42
languages.
Currently running on Symbian S60 phones, Blackberry, and Windows
Mobile, it will be available on Android in the next few days and on
Apple's iPhone shortly. It is also an iGoogle gadget on a PC.
Google said it has worked at preserving users' privacy by making
every disclosure choice an opt-in. In addition, users can falsify
their location on demand, thus allowing virtual games of hide and
seek across the Google Map world.
Google said, "We recognise the sensitivity of location data, so
we have built fine-grained privacy controls into the application.
Everything about Latitude is opt-in. You not only control exactly
who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location
that they see."
Google said users can change the settings on a friend-by-friend
basis. "So for each person, you can choose to share your best
available location or your city-level location, or you can
hide."