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Google's Seoul office raided over data collection claims
Google's Seoul office was raided on Tuesday on suspicion its mobile advertising unit AdMob had illegally collected location data without consent, South Korean police said – the latest setback to the internet search firm's Korean operations.
The investigation into suspected collection of data on where a user is located without consent highlights growing concerns about possible misuse of private information as the use of mobile devices such assmartphonesandtablet computersincreases.
Such information is viewed as crucial for the burgeoning mobile advertising sector as it helps personalise online ads according to individual preferences or locations.
Last month,Appledefended its use of iPhone location data, but denied that it was tracking the movements of customers, while consumer electronics giant Sony is grappling with a large data breach.
"Every technology has a flip side. Location-based services benefit customers by helping them find nearby restaurants, gas stations and other places with their smartphones," said Kim Kwang-jo, a computer science professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
The US Federal Trade Commission is also considering a broad investigation into Google and reportedly alerting hi-tech firms to gather data in advance of a probe of Google's dominance of the internet search industry.
South Korea's top internet portals filed a complaint with anti-trust regulators last month claiming Google was unfairly stifling competition in the mobile internet search market of one of the world's most wired countries.
In South Korea, Google is one of the smallest players in the fixed-line internet search market, but it enjoys a near 20% share in the mobile internet market, backed by its Android platform.
Google, which controls roughly two-thirds of the global search market, is a stellar performer in the booming smartphone and tablet market, as device makers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics increasingly adopt its free Android operating platform to counter heavyweight Apple.
Google's Seoul office was raided on Tuesday on suspicion its mobile advertising unit AdMob had illegally collected location data without consent, South Korean police said – the latest setback to the internet search firm's Korean operations.
The investigation into suspected collection of data on where a user is located without consent highlights growing concerns about possible misuse of private information as the use of mobile devices such assmartphonesandtablet computersincreases.
Such information is viewed as crucial for the burgeoning mobile advertising sector as it helps personalise online ads according to individual preferences or locations.
Last month,Appledefended its use of iPhone location data, but denied that it was tracking the movements of customers, while consumer electronics giant Sony is grappling with a large data breach.
"Every technology has a flip side. Location-based services benefit customers by helping them find nearby restaurants, gas stations and other places with their smartphones," said Kim Kwang-jo, a computer science professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
The US Federal Trade Commission is also considering a broad investigation into Google and reportedly alerting hi-tech firms to gather data in advance of a probe of Google's dominance of the internet search industry.
South Korea's top internet portals filed a complaint with anti-trust regulators last month claiming Google was unfairly stifling competition in the mobile internet search market of one of the world's most wired countries.
In South Korea, Google is one of the smallest players in the fixed-line internet search market, but it enjoys a near 20% share in the mobile internet market, backed by its Android platform.
Google, which controls roughly two-thirds of the global search market, is a stellar performer in the booming smartphone and tablet market, as device makers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics increasingly adopt its free Android operating platform to counter heavyweight Apple.