Unveiled Through Location Data: A Cleric's Privacy Breach, Suggesting Potential Exposures for Others.
In a shocking turn of events, an investigation has been conducted into the location data siphoned from a mobile device belonging to Jeffrey Burrill, a top official of the Catholic Church. The investigation, details of which were released by The Pillar, a digital outlet, revealed visits to gay bars and nightclubs by Burrill, as well as his whereabouts at the USCCB office, USCCB-owned residence, and USCCB meetings and events in other cities.
The data, authenticated by an independent data consulting firm, was collected by apps after users consent to data collection and was sold by data vendors. It's unclear who these companies are or what they're doing with the secondhand data they receive. The sheer scale of advertising companies today, combined with the lack of substantial regulation, makes it difficult to determine their activities.
The investigation was sparked by a claim made in 2018 by a person who approached Church individuals and organizations, including the Catholic News Agency, claiming to have access to technology that could identify users of apps like Grindr and Tinder, and pinpoint their locations.
In response to the investigation, Jeffrey Burrill resigned from his position. A spokesperson for Grindr, however, denied the app being the source of the data used in the investigation. Grindr has a track record of accepting data from adtech middlemen, which has led to multiple lawsuits from regulators and irate users. The company's apps on Android and iOS list 25 separate pieces of technology pulling data from the app, according to the most recent reports from AppsFigures.
The revelation of this investigation has sparked concerns about privacy and potential misuse of location data. There's no way to know for sure if these companies are microtargeting people who support LGBT causes, profiling queer people of colour, or gathering more data about Catholic figures. The Catholic News Agency published a blog discussing the potential use of national security-style surveillance technology to track Church personnel.
This case reflects common modern investigative techniques relying on GPS data and mobile device records to trace suspect movements and interactions in criminal and regulatory probes. For investigative use, such data is legally acquired and analyzed to verify locations, movements, and associations relevant to the investigation.
However, the use of such data in the context of personal privacy and potential discrimination raises ethical questions that need to be addressed. As technology continues to evolve, it's crucial for regulations to keep pace to protect individuals' privacy and prevent misuse of personal data.
- Gizmodo could write an article about the use of data-and-cloud-computing in investigative techniques, discussing the recent case where location data was siphoned from Jeffrey Burrill's mobile device and used to reveal his visits to gay bars and meetings.
- In the future, tech companies like Grindr, which have a history of selling user data to advertising companies, might face increased scrutiny due to concerns about privacy, potential discrimination based on lifestyle, and abuses of personal data.
- As technology advances, it's essential for technology regulation to evolve to protect individuals' privacy and prevent misuse of personal data, especially in areas like data-and-cloud-computing and tech lifestyle apps.
