Privacy worries grow over wireless monitoring devices

05.05.2009
The wireless industry is abuzz with plans for expanding remote monitoring of just about any device over wireless networks.

Examples range from reading water and power meters remotely, to helping police see how long a car has been parked on a city street or monitoring traffic congestion via wireless cameras.

But with the growth in the technology, there's also growing concern that Big Brother will have more eyes and ears than ever before.

"That's the scariest part of this [trend]-- the potential for Big Brother," said Rich Redelfs, general partner of Foundation Capital, which invests in wireless technologies.

In an interview at the Go Mobile 2009 conference here, Redelfs said he and his partners take into account privacy concerns when reviewing an investment proposal for a new technology. "Privacy is ultimately a moral issue, and that matters to us," Redelfs said.

"The Internet as a whole has raised the issue for how much our personal information might be seen by others," Redelfs said.