Mobile phone firm denies privacy breach

Mobile phone giant Palm has responded to claims that its recently launched smartphone violates users' privacy.

One owner of the Pre, which is not yet available in the UK, discovered that his phone was sending information back to Palm - including details of the handset's location and which applications were used and for how long.

American software developer Joey Hess posted on his blog that he noticed his phone was uploading data back to the company. He said the phone location was identified as the same place marked in the map application of the handset, which had sometimes been accurate enough to find his house.

He said the reports sent back to Palm also included information about application crashes, even those not noticed by the Pre owner, but he had found a way to disable them.

In a statement, the phone manufacturer said: "Palm takes privacy very seriously, and offers users ways to turn data collecting services on and off."

It added that the firm's privacy policy was similar to many others in the industry and includes information about "potential scenarios in which we might use a customer's information, all toward a goal of offering a great user experience".

It said facilities such as Google Maps used the location information to produce useful results for users.

It continued: "We appreciate the trust that users give us with their information, and have no intention to violate that trust."