Midnight to 8:00 AM

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Where and When?

8:00 AM to 3:00 PM

6:30 PM to 8:00 AM 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM

Library

Lowell House

3:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

6:30 PM to Midnight
Room Dining Hall

Alaina: A One-Week Tour

And by tour, I mean a thorough overview of my life. For exactly one week a GPS device was closer to me than a best friendit went with me everywhere. A splendid (very typical) weekjust my GPS and Iand my smart phone.
Highlighted in red, the places that I spend the most time are easily visible. As a student athlete, it isnt surprising that I spend so much time at the track. Lowell House is where live. I eat there, sleep there, and work in Lowells Library. As a college student, the university buildings where I attend class are also highlighted.

Hot Spots

Until recently, I was rather unaware of the fact that my spatial information is constantly being recorded by my trusty Android. Apparently, my geodata is then stored for analysis. Apples Dr. Guy Bud Tribble stated in his prepared statement before the U.S. Senate at the subcommittee hearing on protecting mobile privacy that: By using any location-based services on your iPhone, you agree and consent to Apples and its partners and licensees transmission, collection, maintenance, processing and use of your location data and queries to provide and improve such products and services (2). A smart phone user for two years now, it seems problematic that this is the rst time that I am learning of this. Initially, I may have argued that I didnt really mind the sharing of my location data. I dont mind having personalized advertisements show up on my screenId rather learn about running shoe discounts than BMX posters. The biggest crime I commit is jaywalking on the way to track practice (which according to my data and despite my previous belief, does not actually save me any time), so Im not too worried about my location data getting me into trouble. After this project however, Im quite spooked by the thought of my spatial data being collected and analyzed byby whom? As Jessica Rich stated in her prepared statement of The Federal Trade Commission before the United States Senate: In the complicated mobile ecosystem, a single mobile device can facilitate data collection and sharing among many entities, including wireless providers, mobile operating system providers, handset manufacturers, application developers, analytics companies, and advertisers. And, unlike other types of technology, mobile devices are typically personal to the user, almost always carried by the user and switched-on. From capturing consumers precise location to their interactions with email, social networks, and apps, companies can use a mobile device to collect data over time and reveal the habits and patterns that mark the distinction between a day in the life and a way of life. Further, the rush of on-the-go use, coupled with the small screens of most mobile devices, makes it even more unlikely that consumers will read detailed privacy disclosures ( Rich 7-8).

Classes

The fact that I really have no idea who has access to my information is only a fraction of the problem I have with this system. This projecta week in the life of Alaina through GPS pointstells a disturbingly accurate and informative story. A quick glance at the Where and When map will give anyone a pretty clear idea of where I will be at any time of day. Further, this is broken down into days of the weekincase one would need to be more speci c. If I am needed (or needed to be avoided) the data reveals that there is a 100% chance I will be in my house from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. If companies look to reveal habits and patterns, consider me an open (and easy to read) book. Rich notes in her statement, The Wall Street Journal has documented numerous companies gaining access to detailed information such as age, gender, precise location, and the unique identi ers associated with a particular mobile device that can then be used to track and predict consumers every move (8-9). From my simple GPS data points, one can instantly learn a disturbing amount of information about me. I am a Harvard College undergraduate studentI live in (and take most of my meals at) Lowell House. Im on the track team and I spend a lot of time exercising. I get around eight hours of sleep a night. I dont study in university libraries. I like co ee. As upset as I am about the fact that I now realize my whole life can be summed up in these few short sentences, Im much more disturbed by the realization that this information is readily available toto people that I will probably never meet. As Jason Weinstein of the Department of Justice notes in his statement before the U.S. Senate, technological devices, like my smart phone: present increasingly tempting targets for identity thieves, cyberstalkers and other criminals (2). Can privacy be breached without negative safety consequences? The Federal Trade Commission describes my thoughts well in saying: On the one hand, these innovations provide valuable bene ts to both businesses and consumers. On the other hand, they facilitate unprecedented levels of data collection, which are often invisible to consumers (Rich 7). I love my smart phone and my computer and my iPad. I love the bene ts these products provide and I cannot foresee a future in which I will not use these types of technological tools. But, I at least want to know and have some control over how my data is used and by whom. I want to be able to see what personal information Im sharing and I want to feel safe using these products. I think the spatial data challenge of today and of the future is summed up best in Chairman Al Frankens opening statement: What today is about is trying to nd a balance between all of those wonderful bene ts and the public's right to privacy. And I for one think that's doable.

Lowell House

Athletic Facilities
Criminal Activity: Jaywalking was detected numerous times on my walk to track practice.

Alaina Murphy Sources: ArcGIS; Harvard Planning and Project Management; ESRI Business Analyst, 2011; http://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=hot_topic&id=1496