New tech means goodbye to privacy

Speaking at Telefonica's Campus Party Europe tech festival in Berlin, Joe Huser, an LA-based corporate attorney, described how the world around us is getting more and more connected which probably means less and less privacy. Here are some of the scenerios which raise questions about data protection and privacy. ZDNet UK's Daivd Meyer says w

Recently Orbitz was found to be charging Mac users a higher rate for flights after they determined that Mac users are willing to pay more.

But... did you consent to the airline tracking your behaviour when you bought the ticket, or did you have to opt into the system?

RFID devices implanted into your luggage, backpack or airline tags can ensure that your luggage will never get lost. Until a crook finds the right combination.

Stores and others can track you down to let you know about an item that you might like. But it also can give away your location.

Parents may use chips in bicycles to track their children. But what if gets get into the wrong hands?

Smart pills that contain a tiny camera that can look for abnormalities inside your body. But what if the test results or a discussion of them arrives at work? At this point your employer has the right to read it even before the patients loved ones even are told.

Stores can track you down to give you directions to an item you've expressed interest in. But again, so can others.

Stores of the future will feature <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/ces-2010-intel-ceo-otellini-shows-off-holographic-glass-display-multipoint-smartphone-videoconferencing/10922">interactive holographic images</a>. Are you watching them or are they watching you?

Another new tracking method designed to encourage retail buying is the use of visual devices that will scan the potential customer's face to determine whether they are pleased or not. If they don't look particularly pleased, then the store will attempt to interest the customer in something else.

All hope is not lost, there are some technologies that put a blanket over the devices that want to track you. For example, this digital wallet has a device that will hide it from RFID tracking devices.

Our smart technologies don't always work as advertised. Many people have no problem giving up privacy for many benefits available. But others don't see it that way.

Here's a chart which shows the path of the Internet of things. As technology advances, data becomes more interconnected and the real loss is your privacy.