Another Case of Tech Lessening Privacy

Sometimes this year, Nike and Apple thought at a partnership, for mutual profitability. THEIR profitability, OUR privacy breach.

The popularity of Apple's iPod Nano couldn't stay without effect in the sports area so Nike decided in May it was time to add some fun to regular jogging shoes. This is how the Nike+iPod Sports Kit was born.

Shortly put, a type of sport shoes that, by using some sensors, can transmit to the iPod through wireless connection information on the type of exercising made, the number of kilometers made, the burnt calories and so on. The information can be saved and seen later, but the interoperability works both ways with the iPod offering an adequate musical background for various physical exercising.

Even the famous music download service iTunes included a special section dedicated to Nike Sport Music.

But it seems that listening to music while running is not that safe. Researchers in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington say there are serious privacy breaches posed by the gadget, which is marketed to runners but may be equally attractive to stalkers and thieves.

"It is easy for someone to use the Nike+iPod as a tracking device," says Scott Saponas, a doctoral student in computer science and lead author of a technical report posted online. "It's an example of how new gadgetry can erode our personal privacy."

"A bad person could use this information to compromise your personal privacy and safety. We describe specific example scenarios, like stalking, in our paper," said a statement from researchers Scott Saponas, Jonathan Lester, Carl Hartung and Tadayoshi Kohno of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington.

The gadget in the runner's shoe contains a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip which sends the data to a receiver connected to the iPod. The information itself is encrypted, but enough information is broadcast to a range of up to 60 feet to pose a security risk.

"When you walk or run the Nike + iPod sensor in your shoe will transmit messages using a wireless radio," said the researchers. "These messages contain a unique identifier that can be detected from 60 feet away. This information is potentially private because it can reveal where you are, even when you'd prefer for a bad person to not know your location."

They found that small computer equipment could be used to read the unique identifier. Some of this was small enough to hide in the user's environment. Placed on that person's front door or in bushes beside the entrance the machine could be used to read and record every time the shoe gadget passed it by.--playfuls.com

Moreover, a computer with wireless Internet access can record multiple users' whereabouts, send the information to a central server and plot people's locations using Google Maps. The computer can then be programmed to communicate with the person doing the tracking, with an e-mail or text message.