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Recruiting subjects
Nielsen's data collection practices show that many people will be happy to give up some privacy in exchange for compensation. So, its just a question of getting a suitable device into the hands of the consenting research subjects.

If a cell carrier is involved, then the data collection could be controlled via an app installed on the phones of consenting individuals. Research subjects who don't have a suitable device (i.e. GPS-equipped smartphone) could be offered one on very favorable terms. In fact, that could be their compensation for opting in.

Alternatively, a cell carrier could use the Call Data Records they already obtain. Obviously, this method would make it possible to obtain a huge number of tracks at practically no cost. The downsides are: a public relations risk in using this data (even if it is anonymized), less frequent and less accurate location sampling, and the devices to be tracked have not been randomly selected. Post hoc corrections can adress (but not entirely eliminate) the 2 latter problems.

If a cell carrier is not involved in data collection, then the procedure might proceed as follows:

1. Ask selected individuals if they would be willing to carry a smaller-than-cellphone device for 24 hours, in exchange for compensation. Explain that the device would record their location, but that no identifying information about them would be used, and that no one will be able to identify them from their track because their location will be blurred when they are not in public;



2. Send the device to consenting individuals with a postage-paid return envelope, instructions, the address of a Web site where they can obtain additional information, and a toll-free number. Inform them that their payment will be processed when the device is returned, having collected data for 24 hours.

The device itself can be quite simple. It is not necessary for the device to transmit the location data; rather, the data can be downloaded from each device when it is returned. So, the device need only be a GPS receiver with some memory and a battery that can power it for 24 hours.

Such a device can be inexpensive, and will be reused.

Protecting privacy

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