Purpose -The development of location-based services (such as those using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems) has accompanied the growth of mobile telecommunication, providing mobile telephone users with a variety of functions. The present paper considers the benefits and concerns that these location-based services present to consumers.Design/methodology/approach -The paper identifies issues based upon the academic literature, relevant theory, and current mobile telecommunication developments.Findings -While location-based services offer many benefits to consumers, issues pertaining to privacy, trust, and justice are significant areas of concern.Research limitations/implications -Testable research propositions pertaining to consumer behavior are offered to guide future research.Practical implications -Socially-responsible telecommunication firms should consider the issues that are raised here. They should adopt policies to safeguard data, build trust, and offer consumers fair policies as the firms offer location-based services.Originality/Value -While much has been written about GPS systems and wireless telecommunications, almost no empirical research has been conducted and little theoretical guidance has been offered to prospective researchers. The present paper reviews the literature from a variety of disciplines and identifies important theoretical areas to guide future research on consumer behavior. The paper identifies important issues for researchers and managers.Keywords: Global Positioning Systems, privacy, trust, justice, location-based services, mobile telecommunication, mobile telephone, consumer behavior.
Paper type -Literature reviewLocation-Based Services 4 Privacy, Trust, and Justice Considerations for
Location-Based Mobile Telecommunication ServicesThe growth of wireless telephone systems has given rise to new types of service applications. One set of applications are location-based services, which can locate specific businesses or provide other information based on the physical location of the user"s mobile telephone. This paper briefly describes the benefits of location-based services, but then focuses on areas of concern for socially-responsive companies. Location-based services raise issues of privacy, trust, and justice which must be addressed.
Benefits of Location-Based ServicesIn many countries, the development and use of location-based services have enhanced the lives of average citizens. Through the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite-based location system developed initially for the U. S. Department of Defense (Karim, 2004), a person can be easily located in an emergency. This can be done via a cellular telephone or a GPS tracking device.In Greece, GPS and web-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to monitor diagnostic data from hospitals in order to identify and respond to disease epidemics at early stages (Ptochos, et al., 2004). Other technologies, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) have been used by government agencies to track livestock...