Location, Location, Location – New DPC Guidance

Whether you are booking a taxi or searching nearby restaurants, location data is proving increasingly useful. Equally, however, location data is likely to identify the person using these services. Given how frequently location data is used, and in light of the associated risks, the Data Protection Commissioner ("DPC") recently published a guidance note on the collection and processing of location data.

We examine what location data is, when data protection rules apply, and how service providers can comply with those rules.

What is location data?

Location data is created when technologies allow electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to be easily located. This enables the person using such a device to easily access an array of services, from checking local weather to discovering what is showing at a nearby cinema.