An Analysis of Privacy in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Location Based Services (LBS)

The issue of privacy is a growing concern in the mobile environment. This dissertation attempts to describe the component parts of privacy as they relate to location and mobility, and to evaluate how both consumers and service providers respond to concerns associated with privacy protection in relation to mobile technologies. A total of 101 privacy policies of both public and private service providers were evaluated using content analysis to determine both how well they responded to different aspects of privacy concern within the mobile environment, and to how understandable they are to consumers. Additionally, an online stated preference survey of 382 consumers was conducted and analyzed to ascertain privacy preferences, willingness to trade information for transportation and mobility benefits, and potential incentives for sharing private data for purposes of safety, efficiency, and economics. The findings reveal that privacy policies of mobile service providers, generally, do not adequately or consistently respond to necessary components of privacy as identified in the research. Additionally, the consumer survey indicated that consumer preferences and concerns are not adequately addressed in current privacy practices, nor are they accurately reflected via current consumer practices related to consumer knowledge of current privacy practices. These findings indicate that much work remains to ensure adequate protection of privacy in the mobile environment via the use of consumer awareness, technical solutions to privacy protection and improved, comprehensive policy provision.