LightSquared debacle proves that the Government does a few, very few, things right.
Filed under: Asset Tracking, Business Investment, Cost Savings, GPS Fleet Tracking, Technolgy Review, vehicle tracking
I was very glad to see that the FCC and the powers that be in Washington finally made a good choice. While it doesn’t happen very often, every once in awhile they will make a good call on something. The towers and the frequencies that LightSquared were going to invest in would have crippled an entire industry for the sake of their own gain in the name of technology. This would not have been an acceptable plan. The Government agencies did their due diligence and came to the same conclusion which was a pleasant surprise to most I am sure.
Don’t worry, it won’t last long before they have botched another critical decision. Better enjoy this one while we can.
GPS should be a tool of convienience, not a tool of fear.
Filed under: Asset Tracking, GPS Fleet Tracking, privacy issues, vehicle tracking
Check the news lately? Apparently governments all over the globe have decided, without asking us, that tracking us with GPS is just fine. Now I know that my phone is tracking me. How do I know? I know because I have to turn that feature on and I like the features that it gives me. I like knowing that there is a coffee place right around the corner from me. Or a pizza joint or an ice cream parlor or whatever it is. This does not make me nervous because I have nothing to hide and I guess I am a trusting individual and know that no one cares where I am going including the government.
However, I could see where this could get to be an issue so the same rules should apply to this technology as to all of the other surveillance technology out there. For example, if the police need to track a criminal or someone they suspect is a criminal I have no issues with them using GPS but they should have to follow steps to get there just like with a wiretap. Same with our phones. If the cops want to track my phone then they should have to get a judge to allow the phone company to give up my location. If the cops, or the government, can just slap a GPS on any vehicle they like or start tracking my phone because they just want to, then we have lost our freedoms and it will be all downhill from there.
Criminals have forfeited their rights as soon as they break the law as far as I am concerned. But this still has to be proven and must be proven legally.
I guess that is what we are talking about here. What is legal and what is not and who gets to decide.
Probably won’t be us.