[If GPS tracking is being done for commercial purposes, and customers know what they're getting (most will), this doesn't seem to me to be a huge problem. If you don't like it, unplug it. True, the collected data can be stored and accessed via subponea, but some people may not care. Put another way, they may weigh the benefits of convenience over the cost of the (theoretical, for most people) privacy invasion. That's a different choice than I'd make, but that's their right. --Declan] --- From: "Richard M. Smith" <rmsat_private> To: <politechat_private>, <sesat_private>, <rmsat_private> Subject: RE: U.K. plans to track all drivers with GPS, charge fees; DNA data Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 22:41:02 -0500 Declan, I am convinced that 10 years down the road, that GPS units will be standard equipment on all new cars. It seems like there are many uses for a GPS unit in a car. Some will be good news for the car owner and some will be not so good news. Here's my list of likely uses for these black boxes: - Road tax collection system based on when, where, and how much someone drives - Car insurance payment system based on when, where, and how much someone drives - Parking fee collection system for both private and public spaces - Stolen or lost car location system - Black box for accident reconstruction - Travel information system (eg., Where's the nearest gas station?) - Travel directions The primary use of these boxes will be for commercial applications and not government snooping. The other standard piece equipment I expect to see on cars are electronic license plates similar to the Ez-Pass transponders used today to pay tolls on turnpikes and bridges. Richard M. Smith http://www.ComputerBytesMan.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Feb 25 2002 - 22:43:38 PST