Metadata is the information that the telcos, Internet companies and google/Microsoft know about you. Now the police, security and other government agencies want this information too.
If like most Australians, you use Android, this metadata includes information about your location, for those of you that use gmail, to see what it looks like go into your gmail account and then cut and paste this URL into the address bar.
https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/1/
If you use an iPhone go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Frequent Locations to see it.
Here is what mine looks like about six months ago on the 20th October 2014.
What you are seeing it my mobile's location plotted on a map every 45 seconds of the day.
Click on the above picture for more detail.
It's pretty awesome!
The potential applications are mind boggling. Shoplifters could be identified. You could track employee movements during the day, did he really try to pick up the parcel or did he stop at the pub for much of the morning.
With Big Data, all kinds of correlations and interconnections could be made like what sort of clients come into your shop. Where else do they shop? How and when did they get to your shop?How they go through the shop. The information could be very useful to you, your suppliers and your competitors..
