Already, Global Positioning Systems have been implemented into vehicles and mobile phones for security purposes but what about the issues of privacy that arise due to this feature of technology? As we progress to become a more 'in touch' society in terms of communication these matters of location will become more prevalent and more serious as we are unable to move without someone knowing exactly where we are. Issues of ethics also arise as a result of this technology due to the fact that people should have the right to remain anonymous and have the ability to turn off any tracking devices embedded into their phones or cars. From an employers perspective, tracking employees when they use the company car would be an advantage but also a violation of some basic human rights. In relation to this point, questions such as do children have the right to be tracked by their parents or keep their location to themselves are matters which need to be discussed before this technology becomes more active in our lives. Current Australian Privacy Protection Laws should also be noted and promoted in order to inform the public on their rights in regards to the capabilities and restrictions of new information technology in our society. For example, the Australian Federal Privacy Act of 1988 outlines the basic forms of privacy which have been amended in 1999 and 2000 order to comply with the Australian public's view on this particular law.
In regards to new technology, in 1998 the US implemented the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act 1998 which limits the ways Web site operators and others may collect and disseminate information pertaining to customers under the age of 13. So far, Australia has not followed suit and does not seem to have a law which directly protects children from technology such as the Internet. With the introduction of global positioning systems for tracking purposes, the issue of child protection needs to be addressed before this technology gets into the wrong hands and used for malicious purposes. On the other hand, as previously mentioned, are there legal issues associated with parents being able to use GPS to track their children for safety reasons? According to Steven Roberts of Nossaman Lawyers in the US, "a parent's desire to track a teenager's phone or car usage or keep a young child from getting lost will not likely present strong enough breaches of any right of privacy to cause the courts to interfere"(Tracking your children with GPS (2004) Online). Therefore it could be said that due to that fact that children are under the legal age, parents do have the right to know where their child is at all times.
However another issue to consider is that "GPS chiefly raises issues in the realm of parent-child relationships" (Roberts, 2004, Tracking your children with GPS). For example parents should negotiate with their teenagers an agreeable form of knowing where they are whether it be GPS on their phone or just a phonecall to let them know where they are. This will ensure that the relationship will not be damaged through a form of mistrust. Not only the parent-child relationship but also marital relationships may become jeopardised due to the fact that often everyone needs their own space and privacy despite the features of new technology.
Pages of Interest
Mobile Phones - Security and Privacy
See Also
References
EmilyOwen 09:48, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)
