Location Tech Will Tell Police Your TV Was Stolen, Slow You Down, Make You Pay
from the come-get-me dept
AMetamorphosis writes in with a link to a story about how police are excited about people putting wireless location-based technology in everything they own, so that the products can "call the police" themselves if they're being stolen. Consider it "lojack for everything". The title of the article is a little misleading - the technology doesn't actually "tell" anyone it's being stolen. It would just let police look up where it is. The article doesn't give much in the way of details as to what the technology actually is, but they suggest it's the same sort of technology being used for E911 and other mobile phone location-based information tools. Of course, no one in the article mentions the privacy concerns this might raise. Though, considering most of the objects that would use this are probably unlikely to move very often, that's probably not as big of an issue. However, the article also mentions that some UK police want to install GPS systems in cars that would automatically regulate their speed. This isn't new. They've been saying this for at least three and a half years - and every time people freak out at the idea. There's almost no way it will ever get past the idea stage. Meanwhile, in another article submitted by the same person, we find out that the European Space Agency wants to use GPS systems to build a pan European road tolling system. That's right. It would monitor where you are at all times, the distance you traveled and then send you the bill. Consider it a "driving tax". Again, there's no discussion of the privacy issues - which certainly would come into play in any such offering. This sounds similar to a plan that was suggested in Oregon earlier this year and people reacted angrily to it for a variety of very good reasons.
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This is funny (to me)
If I could invent a system to prevent all children from being molested (another crime) or abused (yet another crime) people would nominate me for a Nobel prize.
Yet, invent a system that prevents people from exceeding the legal posted speed limit (yet another crime) and everybody throws their hands up and screams "BUT WHAT ABOUT MY PRIVACY!", "IT'S NOT FAIR!", etc.
Why is that there are certain laws it's ok for people to break (i.e., speeding, copyrights, etc.) but other laws are well respected?
If so many people are so opposed to the idea of a world where you can't speed (and get away with it 99.9999% of the time) why don't they encourage their elected representatives to do away with speed limits?
I'm constantly amazed at the number of police cars that pass me at excessive speeds with no lights or sirens and no obvious sign that they are actually rushing off to be somewhere.
I think that if the government wants to implement these sorts of things they should make them mandatory in all government vehicles for at least one year (and that includes the limos that the elected representatives are riding around in) and then after that they can decide if they need to be rolled out to the public.
Oh, and all the records of every time they break the posted speed limit should be made publicly available on a website somewhere.
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Re: This is funny (to me)
Its quite evident the general population is in disagreement with the current laws we have regarding copyrights & automobile speeds. Other than the kooks at NAMBLA, I really don't see how you can throw in molesting children as an alternative that the general populace is looking to change.
Furthermore, since Congress doesn't exist on Social Security like you and I are supposed to do, what makes you think they would even remotely entertain the idea of being monitored in their vehicles ?
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Re: This is funny (to me)
Don't even think about moving the DVD player from the living room to the bedroom without first notifying the police because you will wind up standing in the doorway with your willie hanging out trying to explain to some fat slob that you just wanted to watch Pr0n spread eagle on the bed instead of in the living room where the kiddies might see you.
If you miss the implications of how this technology can and eventually will be abused, you deserve to have an ankle bracelet placed on your leg to monitor what your up to every minute of the day.
Oh WAIT, Criminals today have those !
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Re: This is funny (to me)
You're missing the point here, I think. It's not the stated purpose of these systems that people have a problem with, it's the side effects. Specifically, that the authorities will have a record of every movement you make.
And as for your hypothetical and fictional systems that prevent murder and molestation, if the side effects of those systems were as draconian as this traffic law system, you might find that people wouldn't be so all embracing as you suggest.
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suuuure
This will be used primarily as an instument of the state to control the populace and extract even more money from the citizenry. How else will be able to afford our onging war with Oceania--err I mean terrorism.
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Re: suuuure
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