Lojack For Kids?

from the nice-for-parents...-but-for-kids? dept

Mon, Apr 14th 2003 8:05pm — Mike Masnick

It seems like any number of companies these days are working on solutions to let parents put a lojack-like system on their kids to track their whereabouts every hour of the day. The latest system, about to launch in the London area, actually uses the same technology that is used to track down stolen cars. Instead of using mobile phone networks or GPS - like some similar solutions - this one uses a radio network to triangulate the location of the kid. Of course, while I can see the appeal to parents, I know that if I had one of these on me when I was a kid it wouldn't make me very happy. Making your kids paranoid about being watched all the time might prepare them for (what appears to be) our rapidly approaching Big Brother society - but doesn't do a whole lot to instill a sense of trust in kids. Of course, I say this as someone without kids of my own - but I'd be interested in hearing from some parents about their opinions on such systems.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

19 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Coward, 14 Apr 2003 @ 8:05pm

kiddy lojack
!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Suzanna, 14 Apr 2003 @ 8:05pm

Lojack my kid
With the research I have done on kidnapping statistics I would say having your child lojacked would prevail over anything else. Knowing that we would locate our children within min of being missing that to me would give me a goodnights rest! I do not let me children whom are 11-13 go outside and play like normal kids should do without some type of supervison due to our society today. I do hope this becomes available shortly so that perpetrators will think twice before abducting another child. If anyone knows of sites that give additional information about child lojack please feel free to email me. Thank you A concerned parent
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- CHRISTY JO, 17 Mar 2014 @ 4:59pm
  
  Re: Lojack my kid
  if you have ever lost a child in a traumatic incident then you could understand if you've never lost a child you will never understand how it feels in this day and age were cars and dogs have more value than our children I don't want to spy on my kids I want one so that I don't ever have to go and identify my dead child I believe there should be some sort of chipping done at birth not so we can spy on our kids but if they come up missing then law Enforcement could then go ahead and start tracking our children does it need to be in our hands to find our kids know but what's wrong with law enforcement having the ability to track your child under the age of 18 this has nothing to do with me being a bad parent a good parent to nosey parent what I am is A parent of an autistic child who doesn't know better....and I don't want to be that mom that shoulda coulda woulda but didn't
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
wonda, 14 Apr 2003 @ 8:05pm

sign me up
i would do it in a heart beat. maybe as they got older it could be limited access for a little more privacy. I would hate to be out there looking for my child and not know where to start this would give parents a head start on finding our children. we care more for our cars then we do for our children. no one ever said no to putting lojack on a car. my children are more valuable then my car
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
dorpus, 14 Apr 2003 @ 9:22pm

What do people really fear?
Do people really fear the lack of privacy, or do they fear having a terrible insect-like microchip implanted under the skin? Seems to me it's just a matter of time before we develop electromagnetic sensors sensitive enough to detect people's infinitesimal radio emissions of heart beats or brainwaves, and therefore derive their "signatures".

Our thoughts are turning into insects in this era, but perhaps they will evaporate into a great collective ether in the next.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 15 Apr 2003 @ 7:50am
  
  Great parenting. Whadda ya mean you don't know?
  So there are parents out there that *don't* know where their kids are now? A GPS system won't fix their lax parenting skills!
  
  Just because you know where they are doesn't mean you know what they're doing.
  
  And it will REALLY give kids and parents a false sense of security! What use is it to hit a panic button? Too late, the danger wasn't avoided. If someone wants to do harm to your child, that won't stop them.
  
  And of course, when some pedophile figures out how to hack such a system, they'll be able to track your kid all the time until they find just the right time and place to attack or abduct them.
  
  Great thinking there... but with all the latchkey kids out there I'm sure it will sell like gangbusters. Easy fix for parental guilt.
  
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - thecaptain, 15 Apr 2003 @ 8:36am
    
    Re: Great parenting. Whadda ya mean you don't know
    Agreed. This is basically a case of companies trying to make money from the paranoia of lazy parents.
    
    We have TVs for babysitters, teachers for parents and counsellors, we beg for the government to make sure that our kids do not see what we don't want them to see, on tv and online instead of doing what our parents (at least mine) did...paid attention and got involved.
    
    But no, our generation is too busy. Kids are a status I guess...we know we need em, so we have em...but most of our generation can't be bothered to raise them once they arrive. That's too hard, it impairs our "careers". The result is a bunch of whiney-ass morons posing as parents that blame everything but themselves when their kids blow someone's head off.
    
    Its a sad statement for a generation
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - dee, 29 Jun 2003 @ 4:43pm
      
      Re: Great parenting. Whadda ya mean you don't know
      Do you even have kids? or are just the know-it-all who has an opinion? I am totally involved in nearly everything my kids do. I'm never too busy for my kids. I think this system would be incredible. There are too many kids being snatched and harmed for us too do nothing. What are you suggesting? That we don't work to support our families? I, for one, can't be around my kids all the time. As much as I really want to. I have to trust daycares, bus drivers, and school officials to help. They can't even protect your kids from the bullies their age. So, until you are more informed, sit down and shut up.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - InvolvedParent, 14 Aug 2003 @ 1:29pm
    
    Re: Great parenting. Whadda ya mean you don't know
    Ok so like somebody else said....Do you even have any kids? I and my wife are very involved with our kids but how many kids are snatched off school playgrounds? Or at their best friends house? You cant be with them 24/7 if you want them to have SOME sense of independence. In this sad day and age you can never be do careful. I think this is a great device. Another point....Schools wont tell you if your kindergardner is actually AT school because they can not verify its you over ther phone...this makes sense but then you have to wait till later in the day HOPING that your kid is still there and didnt get snatched or if they made it off the bus. This in not paranoia...its our modern world. Yes some parents WILL use this because they are not involved but that doesnt mitigate the value to those who are. Please think about more than just one possible scenario.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Abused Mom, 13 May 2004 @ 5:12pm
    
    Re: Great parenting. Whadda ya mean you don't know
    Obviously you don't have kids, and have no idea what it's like to try to raise children today.
    How about this scenario?
    You spend every spare moment with your children, go out of your way to make sure they're involved in healthy activities, and show up regularly to show your support.
    But your child has a behavioral disorder. No matter how good you are to your child, if you ever lay down a rule or tell him/her "no" they go berserk.
    It isn't against the law to run away from home. If a child does run away, the police won't look for them.
    Your only hope is that they're with a friend you know, or have contacted a friend you know, and that the friend will be honest enough to tell you.
    If not, you spend days and nights wondering where your child is, if they're safe, if they've eaten. Knowing about the predators out there who take those children and turn them into prostitutes, druggies, dealers, and gang-bangers doesn't help a parent sleep.
    These devices could help a lot of people. They can save children from harm from others and, in some cases, themselves.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - rick, 10 Oct 2008 @ 12:01am
    
    Re: Great parenting. Whadda ya mean you don't know?
    You dont know anything your talking about. PERIOD!!
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Parent, 25 Jul 2006 @ 2:03pm

Re: Great parenting. Whadda ya mean you don't know
Geez, are you an idiot or just a heartless moron? Firstly, and unfortunately, most kids are abused by people KNOW so the person you trusted may be one you really can't lojack your child against. Second, even overly concerned and overly involved parents such as myself cannot account for every second of my child's day including times when they fail to follow their teachers' orders and don't come right back to class, fail to get on the bus and ditch school instead, or just plain run away when they think you aren't looking in at a busy fair where there are a million people there... I'd love to get this system. Plus, I work with parents that are so-called negligent and
neglectful - a lojack system won't help them because they wouldn't even care to get one...dummy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Coach Mike, 16 Sep 2006 @ 7:32pm

Great Idea
For everyone that says this will not help out with raising your children, you are correct. This is a great device, however, for the kidnapping of a child. Sure it is not full proof but in the event of a kidnapping EVERTHING helps.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
dont matter, 21 Mar 2007 @ 12:32pm

I think its great
It seems there is always an Amber alert these days. I would like to do this to my son untill he reaches the age where I feel comfortable where we can be on his own without me watching. I am really worried when I read these stories on CNN or my local news. It makes my heart pant and dont know what I would do if my son was missing. This is kind of make me feel at ease.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
mark, 2 Nov 2007 @ 9:52pm

sign me up too!!
I'm very involved with all five of my children. I'm a Gilrscout Co-Leader for my girls, a Cub Scout Den Leader for my boys, PTA Chair in the school, and in their classrooms a couple days a week to help out. At night, while I'm working, and my children are supposed to be home with their mother, or spending the night or weekend with a friend, I would like to be able to check and make sure they are where they are supposed to be. I was a kid once, although so long ago now, I remember the things I used to pull on my parents and got away with. Kids these days don't have the safety we had back then.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
clarence, 6 Jul 2008 @ 12:37pm

needed for concerned parents
My Haylee 9 years old would still be alive if we had lojack 20 years ago she suffered 3 days before being killed by her rapist . She possiably could have been spared rape and torture if she could have been found in hours and not days
So to the bleeding hearts who are afraid they might offend their kids it is better than DEAD. Lo Jack my Haylee You bet I would , and hell no she would not have liked it. Yet she would have worn it any way .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
david hamilton, 20 Sep 2009 @ 8:21am

intrested in product
we are in phila. pa united states of america i see a need for such products for my company and would be intersted in marketing them here.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Nov 2009 @ 6:05pm

If your child were abducted you might want to know where they were. Then again maybe you would'nt.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Lori, 16 Jun 2013 @ 2:35pm

Childrens Feelings
I do not care if my child is not happy about me keeping them safe, however why do they have to know. My teen has a cell phone I pay for with GPS I can use to find her. Does she realize this hmmm. I would like some type of device for a toddler to put in their clothes/jewelry... perhaps without their knowledge
[ link to this | view in chronology ]