Prepaid cells phones bring images of Jason Bourne and other spy characters to mind. A phone that is disposable, untraceable and cheap, what more could a man on the run ask for. These phones are in integral part of these movies but in real life are these handy cell phones aiding criminals? Most definitely. While they may not be the only people using these types of cell phones they are a tool used by criminals. The lure of being untraceable is something that irresistible for people in those situations. I think that regulating these phones by having to register would be a smart idea, at the very least having to show a valid ID. I realize these IDs could also be fake but at least it might slow down some people.
When answering this question the topic of legal uses came up in discussion. Legal uses? I had to pause and think for a moment to try and fathom a reason people would use a non contract phone, for legal reasons. I came up with the following reasons:
- Can't afford a plan phone
- Don't want to enter a 2-year contract (most phone companies require this)
- Lost/broke current phone, using until replacement comes
That was all I could think of. I thought this was a pitifully small list so I decided to Google legal reasons to use a prepaid phone. These are some additional reasons I found:
- Low credit score
- Travelers
- Don't need a credit card
- Save for emergencies
- Reporters use them to keep sources confidential (Police could use this for witnesses and other business as well)
These reasons do seem pretty important to me once i consider them. Many people are less fortunate than i am and could not afford or obtain a contract phone like i have. I feel it would be unfair to these people to take away their chance to have a cell phone. I think the best solution to this would be having ID needed to purchase and to register the phones.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
GPS trackers, getting under our skin.
It seems that GPS trackers are an item of controversy. People have been talking about implanting these devices in children, letting parents know where their children are 24/7.
The benefits of such a practice are clear. If you child was lost or stolen it would be a simple matter of tracking the GPS signal to where they are. However this is not necessarily fool-proof. As horrible as it sounds, if the child was stolen the chip could be removed, a painful and traumatizing experience, that would only add to the terror of being abducted in the first place. The downsides however seem to outweigh the bennifits in my opinion. The tracker signal could be followed by people that you would not want tracking your child. It would be all to easy to track down and harm a child with this information. In addition to this, third parties could use the information of where these children go, how many go, and how often. This information could then be sold to a marketing company. For example a toy company could see where kids went to buy toys, therfore finding the best locations to sell toys. While this would be a huge help for the company, I feel it infringes on the privacy rights of these children.
Privacy once these children grow up would be another huge issue. No teenager, college student or adult wants their whereabouts tracked constantly. The alternative would be having chips removed once you have reached a certain age, but at what age? And what if a family couldn't afford the procedure to get the chip removed, would it become something the government would pay for? Something to add to our already growing debt?
I think that the GPS shoes are a good alternative, but again could easily be removed. Perhaps some sort of jewelry could be used, similar to the ID bracelets people with medical conditions wear.
The benefits of such a practice are clear. If you child was lost or stolen it would be a simple matter of tracking the GPS signal to where they are. However this is not necessarily fool-proof. As horrible as it sounds, if the child was stolen the chip could be removed, a painful and traumatizing experience, that would only add to the terror of being abducted in the first place. The downsides however seem to outweigh the bennifits in my opinion. The tracker signal could be followed by people that you would not want tracking your child. It would be all to easy to track down and harm a child with this information. In addition to this, third parties could use the information of where these children go, how many go, and how often. This information could then be sold to a marketing company. For example a toy company could see where kids went to buy toys, therfore finding the best locations to sell toys. While this would be a huge help for the company, I feel it infringes on the privacy rights of these children.
Privacy once these children grow up would be another huge issue. No teenager, college student or adult wants their whereabouts tracked constantly. The alternative would be having chips removed once you have reached a certain age, but at what age? And what if a family couldn't afford the procedure to get the chip removed, would it become something the government would pay for? Something to add to our already growing debt?
I think that the GPS shoes are a good alternative, but again could easily be removed. Perhaps some sort of jewelry could be used, similar to the ID bracelets people with medical conditions wear.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)