From: msmith01@flash.net
Subject: SNET: Cell Phones to Have Location-Tracking by 2005
Date: 24 Apr 2001 15:20:43 -0400
To: Mark 

->  SNETNEWS  Mailing List

Bend over, and get ready to take another shaft job by 
the government aqainst our freedom.



Cell Phones to Have Location-Tracking by 2005

Monday, April 23, 2001


By 2005, the government will be able to track you down through your cell
phone.


Cell-phone manufacturers are under a federal mandate to equip mobiles
with
location-tracking technology beginning this October. By 2005, 95 percent
of
all cell phones must be able to be traced with an accuracy of about
1,000
feet or better.

While such phones could be lifesavers in an emergency, the order from
the
Federal Communications Commission has raised serious questions about
invasion of privacy.

"For most people, it’s a very scary proposition that the government can
use
not only your mobile phone but your Palm Pilots ... and any other mobile
device to track your every movement," said attorney Albert Gidari, of
the
Perkins and Coie law firm in Seattle.

Making mobile phones capable of tracking users' locations will involve
planting GPS chips in the handsets or installing new infrastructure in
cell
sites.

Cellular providers plan commercial uses for the technology, such as
getting
directions if someone is lost, finding nearby restaurants or locating
family
members and friends who have gotten separated in a crowd.

"Wireless operators already know where consumers are by virtue of the
fact
that the phone is on," pointed out Ken Arneson, the chief strategy
officer
at Telecommunication Systems, a provider of the location-tracking
technology. "What’s different here is that now carriers are looking to
commercialize that and need to do that to offset the cost of putting
this
technology in place."

He estimated that it could cost billions of dollars to outfit the 110
million cell phones in this country with the tracking mechanism.

Some worry the technology will be used in other ways, with providers
selling
information to merchants or worse: stalkers or abusive relatives.

"If the fundamental principles of privacy aren’t in place, there will be
a
revolt against the widespread use of the technology," Gidari said.

Arneson said the privacy issue is being taken seriously and is one of
the
chief considerations in going forward with installing the technology.

"We as a company believe that there will be privacy solutions in place
...
that essentially allow consumers to opt in and opt out of these various
services," Arneson said. "Privacy is an enormous concern."

— Fox News’ Jonathan Serrie contributed to this report



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