Google has launched a personal safety mobile app that allows users to share their location with friends, thanks to the company's expertise in ad targeting. The app, called Trusted Contacts, will be used for emergency services rather than ad targeting. In the case of a flat battery or poor signal area, the app releases the user's last known location. Google's new privacy policy also includes an update on how it handles data collected by its Street View cars.
Google has launched a personal safety mobile app that allows users to share their location with friends, thanks to the company's expertise in ad targeting. The app, called Trusted Contacts, will be used for emergency services rather than ad targeting. In the case of a flat battery or poor signal area, the app releases the user's last known location. Minh T. Nguyen, software engineer at Google, said that if a user is unable to respond to a worried trusted contact's location request, "your location is shared automatically and your loved ones can determine the best way to help you out."