This is just speculation, as the data is intended to be anonymous. But this is were data collection can get murky.
GPS data isn't the only type of information Strava could share with ODOT. The website allows users to identify themselves, post photos, and write comments about routes and events. While ODOT will begin by figuring out concentrations of bike traffic throughout the state using GPS data, it would be easy for them to create a database of Strava's user-created "segments" to identify "hot spots" where cyclists may be riding in especially aggressive fashion.
In his piece in Bicycling magazine on the Strava-related death of Kim Flint in 2010, David Darlington compared some of the site's "KOM" segments to illegal street racing. He even showed how easy it is to identify cyclists breaking the law by finding several KOM segment leaders who recorded speeds in excess of the posted speed limit.
How well this data would stand up as evidence in court is up to a judge. Could ODOT use this kind of data to pinpoint areas where cyclists need to be monitored, even for their own good?
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This data usage falls more under the purview of law enforcement than DOT, and leads to another question. Just what limits are there for government access to your private data, and do you have any power to protect it? Could law enforcement strike a similar deal with Strava? Could authorities simply access your data with a warrant? This is an issue that executives at Facebook, Apple and Google have criticized the government in the wake of revelations over the NSA's secret PRISM surveillance program. As the government figures out ways to work with technology, the debate is certain to continue.
As of right now, Strava is the only company selling its data to ODOT. As cyclists well know, Strava has specific customer base that is not necessarily representative of the broader cycling community--especially when it comes to commuters.
The Missing Commuter Data
Many Oregonian cyclists have criticized the deal, saying that Strava may provide misleading data that either distorts ODOT decision making in construction projects or influences them to undertake projects that favor only recreational and competitive cyclists.
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This is a legitimate concern with a limited number of solutions. The immediate answer would be for commuters to join and use Strava so that their data would be included in what ODOT sees. This is would be an appealing solution to Strava, however, it carries several consequences for the individual. More Strava users in the ODOT program would make it seem more successful. It would encourage broader use by other cities with large cycling populations. In a way, it would be feeding the beast.
This would also increase Strava's user base and company value, which may or may not be a desired outcome (based on how much you like Strava).
The principle cuts both ways, though. If competitive cyclists fear that putting too much data on Strava threatens to ruin their online competition, it might encourage them to use more discretion in which data they upload. This could help Strava's competitors.
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This is an extraordinary development in cycling, albeit one that should have been foreseen. We have created a world filled with devices that follow us wherever we move, and we use them by creating data on-the-go.
The next rational step is to begin using that data and incorporating it into every element of our lives. We often adopt technology before we're sure what its consequences will be. The Strava-ODOT partnership is just one example of our try-first-, think-later approach.
As of now, there are more questions than answers, which makes it all the more important for people to keep an eye on the future.
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