Government's right to track you with GPS

[bizarrenormality]

I see no one touting the "virtues of GPS tracking" i.e., On Star has presumably helped a lot of people and EPIRB's have saved sailors all over the world.

Do you understand the difference between consensual sex and rape?

It's kind of like that.

[jimlongley]

If in fact a GPS tracking device helps law enforcement with catching criminals/terrorists why would any law abiding citizen protest?

Or, are we afraid that Big Brother is arbitrarily infringing on the rights of the law abiding?

Some of what I've read so far seems to indicate a knee-jerk negative reaction to law enforcement using technology that has the potential for misuse, but is there a solid reason to indiscriminately distrust those who presumably keep us safe from enemies both foreign and domestic?

I see no one touting the "virtues of GPS tracking" i.e., On Star has presumably helped a lot of people and EPIRB's have saved sailors all over the world.

Admittedly, I know little about this overall issue - so can someone enlighten me what this GPS tracking fuss is about?

My objection is not to the GPS tracking per se, I thoroughly enjoyed the demo we saw during Citizens' Police Academy, the part that bothers me is the warrantless. Thus, as a law abiding citizen, I expect that any such device I find on my vehicle is there illegally due to the action of persons unknown. I might or might not report it to the police, but I would surely remove it.

[Katygunnut]

I see no one touting the "virtues of GPS tracking" i.e., On Star has presumably helped a lot of people and EPIRB's have saved sailors all over the world.

Do you understand the difference between consensual sex and rape?

It's kind of like that.

[C-dub]

I know it seems like an intrusion, but what really is the difference between this and just following someone around? LE can follow anyone without a warrant. This is just a cheaper and more effective way of doing so.

[Dave2]

I know it seems like an intrusion, but what really is the difference between this and just following someone around? LE can follow anyone without a warrant. This is just a cheaper and more effective way of doing so.

Yeah, but that's way more resource-intensive than sticking a gadget under their car, so they won't be tracking just anyone.

[KD5NRH]

I know it seems like an intrusion, but what really is the difference between this and just following someone around?

Roughly the same as the difference between following someone around to listen to their phone conversations and tapping the line.

[C-dub]

I know it seems like an intrusion, but what really is the difference between this and just following someone around? LE can follow anyone without a warrant. This is just a cheaper and more effective way of doing so.

Yeah, but that's way more resource-intensive than sticking a gadget under their car, so they won't be tracking just anyone.

Exactly. That's my point. Cheaper for them means cheaper for us.

Wait. Or is it your point that without a gadget under the car LE will only be able to track those that are more deserving?

[C-dub]

I know it seems like an intrusion, but what really is the difference between this and just following someone around?

Roughly the same as the difference between following someone around to listen to their phone conversations and tapping the line.

Is this apples and oranges? Following someone around still doesn't give them permission to listen to phone conversations. That still requires a warrant, doesn't it?

[KD5NRH]

I know it seems like an intrusion, but what really is the difference between this and just following someone around?

Roughly the same as the difference between following someone around to listen to their phone conversations and tapping the line.

Is this apples and oranges? Following someone around still doesn't give them permission to listen to phone conversations. That still requires a warrant, doesn't it?

You can listen to anything you can hear. With good ears, you can easily get both sides of a conversation from the next table.

[Katygunnut]

Welcome to the new Amerika. I think I need to start watching what I say to my children about our ruling class. If I recall the playbook correctly, the next step will be encouraging children to report their disloyal parents. I think that comes right after you disarm the subjects.

[Abraham]

Have I overlooked evidence that proves that there's widespread governmental GPS tracking of law abiding U.S. citizens and is a commonly used fishing tool.

If so, then yes, it's wrong.

All the hullaballoo I've read so far regarding this subject sounds like conspiracy theorists hard at work...

[Pawpaw]

Have I overlooked evidence that proves that there's widespread governmental GPS tracking of law abiding U.S. citizens and is a commonly used fishing tool.

If so, then yes, it's wrong.

All the hullaballoo I've read so far regarding this subject sounds like conspiracy theorists hard at work...

That's exactly the kind of thinking that has gotten us in the mess we're in now.

Every one of our founding fathers warned us to jealously guard our rights and freedoms lest we lose them. Were they conspiracy theorists also?

[C-dub]

I know it seems like an intrusion, but what really is the difference between this and just following someone around?

Roughly the same as the difference between following someone around to listen to their phone conversations and tapping the line.

Is this apples and oranges? Following someone around still doesn't give them permission to listen to phone conversations. That still requires a warrant, doesn't it?

You can listen to anything you can hear. With good ears, you can easily get both sides of a conversation from the next table.

Under these circumstances, I agree. Overhearing a conversation taking place in public is quite different from tapping a line and the information gleaned from following someone and using a GPS device is the same. Other than speed, the GPS device doesn't tell one any more than that.

Maybe the difference is the expectation of privacy. When talking to someone on a private phone line there is a certain expectation of privacy. Excluding talking in a public place and the person on the other line is a load talker. However, while driving around on public roads there can't possibly be any expectation of privacy with regards to one's location.

[Abraham]

Pawpaw ,

You do understand, I too do not want GPS tracking of law abiding citizens. It's outrageous and wrong if it is. I have no desire to live in an Orwellian world.

What I requested is proof this is actually going on.

So far, I've read of none, as most of the links I accessed regarding this subject were no longer available to read.

The only one I was able to read was about a GPS tracking device found in the car of someone who could very well play a part in terrorism.

So is there proof of arbitrary GPS tracking of law abiding citizens going on or is there a whole of lot of jumping to conclusions going on?

[C-dub]

Abraham,
It may be semantics, but the use of these devices are to gather information from people suspected from breaking the law. They may not have broken the law yet, which still possibly makes them law abiding citizens. There may be circumstances something like this would be used to find bigger fish, but otherwise I don't think it would be used on someone's vehicle if they have already broken the law. They would just arrest them and then they would hopefully know where they are and a GPS device would be unnecessary. lol