Openpaths: empowering personal geographic data.

Abstract

OpenPaths, created by the New York Times Company R&D Lab, is a platform that demonstrates the collective value of personal data sovereignty. It was developed in response to public outrage regarding the location record generated by Apple iOS devices. OpenPaths participants store their encrypted geographic data online while maintaining ownership and programmatic control. Projects of many kinds, from mobility research to expressive artwork, petition individuals for access to their data. In the context of locative media practice, OpenPaths expands the notion of the tracing to address the components of an ethical implementation of crowd-sourced geographic systems in the age of "big data".