Do consumers care about their privacy?

C&binet | 15 Oct 2009, 13:09

C&binet comment: Andrei Korobeinik, CEO, Rate Solutions

Last year, the largest travelers’ community site, Tripadvisor.com, has launched a Traveler social network where you can get advice from your friends about the cities you are planning on visiting or the hotels you are going to stay in.

In January this year, I have received an email from KLM airlines promoting a new social network called Bluenity.com. The goal of this network is, “to discover other travelers and meet them at any point” - so after you buy ticket you can find out who are your neighbors on the plane and maybe even plan something in your final destination together.

In February, Google Latitude was launched, allowing people to share their location with friends and check their friends’ locations using Google Maps on mobile with GPS – anytime, anywhere.

And yesterday, another European airline – Lufthansa – has introduced MySkyStatus. While you’re in the air, MySkyStatus sends altitude, location, departure and arrival updates automatically to your Facebook and Twitter pages. Now anyone can check, well, how high you are.

People used to fight for their privacy just a few years ago; and now they are willing to surrender their privacy in exchange for… what? You tell me.

Do you think about such services? Can you build a successful start-up on that emerging trend or is it some strange geeks’ amusement?

Do consumers care about their privacy?