Gps Tracking Systems: Invasion Of Privacy?

GPS navigation systems use a network of geosynchronous satellites that orbit the

earth to determine the location of people or objects within a few feet of their location. GPS systems were first used to help the military in target location and in navigation. More recently the cost of GPS hardware has fallen, allowing accurate civilian use; this is also due to the enhancement of signal quality by the military.

The technology of GPS has been of great benefit to companies for keeping track of the vehicles within their fleets and also providing a way for drivers to be more efficient in making deliveries and estimating time of delivery. GPS tracking systems for vehicles have even been useful for finding the best way for drivers to get to their locations.

There are those, however, who warn of a possible negative effect of using a GPS system, viewing it as constituting an erosion of privacy. Some taxi, truck, and limo drivers are already having their trips scrutinized in this way. On the positive side, GPS technology has proven effectiveness as a means of tracking would-be terrorists, and has been used for some time by federal agents.

GPS has also made significant inroads into the consumer market, allowing individuals to use GPS to lay out waypoints for hikes, set locations for camping or fishing, and allow individuals to navigate in unfamiliar territory. A new form of recreation called "geocaching" has also developed, involving a hide-and-seek game involving a container and a set of latitude and longitude coordinates.

GPS tracking systems have also allowed the development of a new automotive add-on, the in dash GPS receiver allowing consumers to request a location and have the device display or speak directions to the driver, making the paper map obsolete. These devices are already increasing in complexity and adding new features including hotel and restaurant information.

The use of GPS for various purposes will likely increase as the cost of devices continues to decrease. GPS technology is very flexible and can serve as a replacement for current technologies such as paper maps, and may play a role in future advances. Perhaps in the future GPS tracking will allow us to know the location of all of our possessions at all time, making theft and loss a thing of the past.

by: Brad Seabourne.

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