The news today is that, starting in 2006, all new cell phones will have a gps system included. Verizon and the other providers will refuse to activate a phone that does not have a gps.
Naturally, the conspiracy crowd is yelling about Big Brother. May I point out a few things?
1) This will only work as an anti-terrorist (or big brother-ish) system if it is possible to monitor MILLIONS OF CELL PHONE CALLS IN REAL TIME! A caller saying "Now is the time, my brothers! Strike in Allah's name!" is not going to be stopped if the call is only listened to 4 months later.
2) I see a big rush on Canadian cell phones among the secretive set next year.
3) Step one - call your terrorist cell mates. Step two - lose the phone. Step three - run like hell while the authorities home in on the gps chip you just hurled into the Hudson.
This action will no doubt benefit the cell phone manufacturers, who will now be able to charge more for a (non)optional feature. It will benefit the bureaucrats at Homeland Security, by making it look like they are doing something constructive.
It will not help us. Or Big Brother either.
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3 comments:
What is the purpose? Is it truly so that we can track criminals by gps? Is it because police often find it useful to use cell phone gps to find victums of crimes or stranded people who don't know where they are? Or is it just cool technology?
The directive came from the Department of Homeland Security.
Somehow, I don't think it was meant to help find stranded motorists.
I thought I hated cell phones before. I think I never will get one.
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