Do you remember the brouhaha caused by the revelation that Apple and Google track their users' locations? Did you feel violated?
Well, worry not, Microsoft's Bill Gates is here to your rescue. Apparently, Microsoft wants regulators to tighten their noose around the companies which enable geolocation feature without receiving express user consent. In fact, the company wants a law which would make it mandatory for such companies to receive the consent beforehand.
However, the usefulness of this measure is doubtable, as both Google and Apple claimed that they had obtained such permissions. Though, in reality, the permission clauses were embedded in the 'Fine Prints' and most of the times users were not even aware that they were providing their consent.
Microsoft also wants the geolocation feature-using companies to encrypt the data so that the information cannot be easily retrieved by prying eyes. And not only that, it also wants the companies to delete the information when it is no longer required.
Though, the proposed clauses sound all reasonable and well, but there is a caveat. The bill proposes that the regulations will be applicable only to the companies or software with more than 5,000 users. Though, it will bring most of the prominent companies like Apple, BlackBerry and Google under the net, but it will also let the smaller players misuse the private data, whichever way they want. Though, we are sure that Microsoft is not proposing these regulations out of the goodness of their heart, but more out of spite for the competing companies. But this is how free markets work and we do not see any reason why consumers would be complaining.