How To Defeat GPS Tracking — And Is There An ROI In Doing So? Part 2

Clandestine GPS Tracking …that’s the generally accepted legal`term for tracking someone’s position without their knowledge. This can be particularly hard to defeat, and purposefully so, because it is often used by law enforcement, private investigators or even suspicious spouses to learn where people go and what times they do so.

Devices have become so much smaller and cheaper over the past few years that cost or convenience hardly enters into the mix any longer.

Units like the one above, or even smaller versions such as this:

are readily available for a few hundred dollars.

Now from a technical standpoint, the ability to conceal these devices varies depending on the access one has, physically and legally to the vehicle or some object in the subject person’s possession. Units such as these must have a view of the sky. They will easily work through non-metallic surfaces, such as a car’s dashboard, but to place them there you have to have physical access … and you almost certainly need a court order to place them … unless you are the owner of the vehicle.

A good background on the legal issues of attaching and tracking devices is this article. It’s more than a year old, but very, very little has changed legally today. About as clear as mud, isn’t it? The police either can or can’t track without orders … take your pick … and the law a sit applies to [private citizens is even more obscure.

OK, what is you don’t have or don’t choose to obtain physical access? How about this little puppy:

Costs about 5 times as much, but the capabilities are outstanding. Notice the little round circles on the unit and the battery pack? Magnets. Just reach underneath and “click” it’s attached to any metal part. Battery lasts several days and additional packs can be chained together for more battery life. The unit reports back to the owner over both older analog cell phone systems on the newer digital GSM/GPRS services. Monthly cost is about $60 bucks … 2 bucks a day to track nearly anything or anybody.

Am I in favor of this sort of use for my favorite technology? yes, I am, if it’s not used improperly. Now, how do I define “improperly” and how do you define the same word? As Shakespeare (or someone using his name) once wrote, “Ah, there’s the rub.” My only purpose in writing these scribbling’s for the world to see is to inform and awaken thought.

Who did you vote for in November’s election? What’s your candidate’s position on use of these devices by, say, an employer to track employees? By a jealous husband to track his wife? By parent to track a child? Did your candidate even have a position?

Probably not. Most haven’t thought GPS and other, more insidious forms of surveillance through very thoroughly … and if they have, they likely have fallen into the trap of ‘If it might catch a terrorist then we have to live with it’. Sorry, but my own view is that enslaving the innocent majority to possible catch the guilty minority is not right. What’s your opinion?