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posted by robind on Friday February 14 2014, @01:36AM   Printer-friendly
from the deserve-neither dept.

This was submitted via the forum, edited by mattie_p. Gaaark writes:

"A US company located in the state of Texas called Traqcloud has produced a new, cheap way to track anyone or anything using GPS satellite tracking for only $10 per month after an initial outlay of $69 for the device. Of course, Michael Hamilton, co-founder of traqcloud, states that 'it is possible for any type of tracking device to be used for the wrong reasons,' adding that his company forbids violating the privacy of others, as per their acceptable use policy.

From my point of view, (I'm a father of a 14 year old boy with Autism) does my son's privacy take second place to his security and my peace of mind? He has no sense of personal safety and will walk off anywhere with anyone at anytime: he has, in the middle of the night, tried going outside on his own (no coat, no boots in mid-winter).

TraqClouds' device may help me sleep at night.

Do I have the right to track him like this? Does this extend to tracking my 'normal' daughter? My wife? A neighbor? Where do rights to privacy end?"

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  • (Score: 1) by Common Joe on Friday February 14 2014, @05:19PM

    by Common Joe (33) <common.joe.0101NO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday February 14 2014, @05:19PM (#74) Journal
    I found this line most interesting: "However, the same rule may not apply to individuals tracking other individuals (particularly those traveling on public roads); for now, such tracking remains a legal gray area." The story links to here [fox6now.com] which is an article from early 2012. Not quite sure I'd be ready to test that by attaching a device like this to my spouse's car or a police car.
    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Common Joe on Friday February 14 2014, @05:29PM

      by Common Joe (33) <common.joe.0101NO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday February 14 2014, @05:29PM (#78) Journal

      I should have been more clear. The full section that is interesting is "Back in January 2012, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that law enforcement did not have the authority to place a GPS tracker onto someone's car without a warrant. However, the same rule may not apply to individuals tracking other individuals (particularly those traveling on public roads); for now, such tracking remains a legal gray area."

      Sorry for the confusion.

    • (Score: 1) by Gaaark on Friday February 14 2014, @05:30PM

      by Gaaark (41) on Friday February 14 2014, @05:30PM (#79) Journal
      Track the cops! Interesting. My future son in law wants to join the RCMP (Canada)... maybe i should try it on him! :)
      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
      • (Score: 1) by mhajicek on Friday February 14 2014, @08:58PM

        by mhajicek (51) on Friday February 14 2014, @08:58PM (#107)

        I've always thought that if it's okay for them to track us without a warrant then it should be fair for us to track them. Eventually it'll all be moot, as everyone will be able to see everyone else anywhere at any time with trivial effort. It'll take a while for intellectual honesty to reach the point where that won't cause problems though.

        --
        The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
        • (Score: 1) by janrinok on Friday February 14 2014, @09:16PM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 14 2014, @09:16PM (#111) Journal

          I'm not sure that your assumption is correct. There may be a public backlash to make slashcott look like a tea party before all-encompassing tracking takes place.

          --
          I am not interested in knowing who people are or where they live. My interest starts and stops at our servers.
          • (Score: 1) by Gaaark on Friday February 14 2014, @10:38PM

            by Gaaark (41) on Friday February 14 2014, @10:38PM (#122) Journal
            This is what I would hope would happen...
            --
            --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 1) by ragequit on Friday February 14 2014, @07:23PM

    by ragequit (44) on Friday February 14 2014, @07:23PM (#91) Journal
    Wonder what SN does to this link... [redacted.abc] persistent XSS test
    --
    The above views are fabricated for your reading pleasure.
  • (Score: 1) by applesmasher on Friday February 14 2014, @10:09PM

    by applesmasher (53) on Friday February 14 2014, @10:09PM (#120)

    They're already tracking us all! Giving us the crumbs of technology they left behind and letting us pretend that it's the cutting edge is there way of boiling our frogs!

    Wake up, sheeple!

    --
    Ever seen an apple hit by a .22WMR?
    • (Score: 1) by Gaaark on Friday February 14 2014, @10:54PM

      by Gaaark (41) on Friday February 14 2014, @10:54PM (#125) Journal
      Wake up and smell the linux! :)
      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 1) by VLM on Monday February 17 2014, @12:35PM

    by VLM (445) on Monday February 17 2014, @12:35PM (#624)

    "forbids violating the privacy of others"

    This rapidly turns into a game of definition; I'm not tracking a person because I can't attach it to them very well, but I can track my backpack, which they happen to carry. Sometimes they carry it, anyway.

    From what I've seen of nursing homes, where cost is no object (at least while insurance is paying) there is no technological solution that works other than old fashioned door locks.