November 20, 2006

Increasing Use of Cellphones to Track People

Now, as more cellphones are equipped to use the Global Positioning System, the satellite-based navigation network, we are on the verge of enjoying services made possible only when information is matched automatically to location. Maps on our phones will always know where we are. Prospective benefits have seemed paltry when placed against privacy concerns. Who will have access to our location information — present and past? Can carriers assure us that their systems are impervious to threats from stalkers and other malicious intruders or neglectful employees — or from government snoops without search warrants?

Cellphone as Tracker: X Marks Your Doubts, New York Times, November 19, 2006.