Sure, the acronym GPS normally stands for Global Positioning System, but as the devices begin to function more and more as regular parts of society, one can't help to think about how the letters GPS have possibly taken on additional meetings, such as the privacy scandal suggested in the title.
Many have heard about the recent Supreme Court ruling that now cites law enforcement's use of a GPS tracking device as a "search" that requires prior approval to be admissible as evidence in court. This ruling may feel like one step forward for criminals and the like, but we as a society should pay attention to not only what the ruling says, but more importantly what it doesn't say when it comes to the matters of GPS trackers and privacy violations.
As a foxnews.com article pointed out, consumers should be aware of the fact that there has yet to be any restrictions on the use of GPS devices by businesses, and several private investigators can attest to the fact that personal uses of GPS devices for malice are on the rise as well. What this means in short, explained with detail in an article by The News Tribune, is that your current or future employer can pay money in order to track where you spend your free time, by way of car-tracking device or Internet visits, without restriction or regulation. Even scarier, is the idea that a jealous spouse or an overprotective parent can purchase a tracking device for your car and use it in secret the same way that a business could.
Scary? Yes. But none of this is to say that we should abandon GPS altogether, because they are very handy devices when used properly.
It may be unnerving to think about the handy little gadget that often gets you from point A to point B being used with malicious intent, but it's probably better to be unnerved and aware, than oblivious and victimized.
That being said, it is up to us as a society, to make a call to action to regulate the use of this technology. Advancements in information technology are happening everyday, and there's little that we can do, or should want to do to stop it. However, we should always aim to regulate the use of this technology within our society, so that it does not pose harm to us and our rights. And how do we do that you ask?
Later in the News Tribune article, the owner of a company that sells GPS tracking devices is quoted as saying, "Selling a tracking device is similar to selling a firearm: You don't ask what they [the buyer] are going to use it for, and what they do with it is entirely out of our control." Well, similar to firearms, law enforcement needs to understand the danger that misuse of these devices can impose, and regulations need to be enforced to prevent it.
Consider the idea that GPS devices need to be registered, just as a gun would. In the event of a tragedy, such as the death of a woman getting a divorce from her jealous husband, or accused discrimination such as a company not hiring an individual based on their Facebook posts, the registered device would be able to be located and searched by law enforcement. Regulations such as these would definitely be a start towards monitoring the misuse of an otherwise helpful device.
This article is a response to 2 articles from FoxNews.com and TheNewsTribune.com. To read this articles visit:
For a different, more academic perspective, please look into reading an essay by Professor Steven Mainprize of Douglas University, as he covers the advancements in electronic monitoring (GPS) and its effects on social control:
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