ReadWriteEnterprise

United States law enforcement officials have been utilizing data provided by global positioning satellite systems to track down individual suspects, without having to demonstrate probable cause before a judge first - that much is known. Rights groups such as the ACLU have wondered, just how much of that goes on?

The rights group's investigation of this practice has inadvertently triggered a renewal of the debate over privacy policy versus public disclosure, and whether it's possible for an agency or other entity to reveal data that could lead to further revelation of personally identifiable data (PID), without officially violating privacy. The final outcome could set a new precedent for privacy policy, not just by the government but for enterprises as well.

It's a familiar argument in anti-merger proceedings against two prospective partners, and you've probably read it plenty of times before: With a manageable plurality of competitors in any market, it's easier for the market to settle upon competitive price points. But when you make an argument any number of ways, any number of times, at some point you're bound to say something that your opponent just may be able to poke a hole in.

That's what might have happened yesterday with the U.S. Justice Dept.'s objection to AT&T's proposed takeover of T-Mobile, filed yesterday in D.C. District Court. The DOJ team was making a point about the positive, beneficial state of affairs in the current wireless market.