Valley Star

Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Photo illustration / Parandzem “Paula” Grigoryan / Valley Star

In today's crowded world, a nice quiet car ride away from all the noise and responsibility of life in the 21st century is a precious commodity. Some good old-fashioned alone time on the way to work or school. There's one small problem though, you may not be as alone as you thought.

Conspiracy theorists' fears and Big Brother's dreams are both coming to closer to reality, all thanks to the wonders of three simple letters: GPS.

Global positioning systems, which, as the name implies, track your position on the planet, have seen their popularity skyrocket in the last decade as more carmakers make them easily available to the average auto owner. The product, also called navigational systems, offer a variety of wonderful comforts at the mere touch of a screen or button. They tell you where to turn to find that elusive new restaurant you want to try, which freeway to take for your road trip and finally let you put away that Boy Scout compass and old Thomas Guide.

If it all sounds just a little too good to be true, it very well may be.

For those who thought they had to stop worrying about an inseparable companion watching over everything they do when the doctor cut their umbilical cords, technology has a hidden surprise.

An article published online this month by MSN Money raises the disturbing question of "Will your car rat you out?" and highlights the reality that these great little GPS systems may come at the cost of their owner's privacy.

Much like the appeal of supermarket cards that save you money at the check out line, but come at the cost of releasing your spending habits, GPS gives a little, but potentially takes a lot more. While most consumers probably don't mind that Ralph's knows how much milk and toilet paper they buy every week, it's safe to say the information stored by the computer in their car could raise some eyebrows.

Take the story of a motorist mentioned in the MSN article that rented a car with a navigational system, drove it and returned it with no troubles. Or so he thought. Much to his shock, since he had never been stopped or ticketed by any police officer, the rental company sent him a bill with a $450 fine for speeding.

The company's justification came from the GPS system in his car, which was equipped with the technology to not only give him directions, but also track his location and calculate his speed.

While his fine was overturned by a court only because the company failed to make their policy clear, the incident raises the larger issue of driver privacy.

There are a growing number of cases across the country involving fines, crimes and tickets as a result of information gathered through vehicle GPS. Everything from surprise speeding tickets to knowing that no matter where you go, someone is watching and storing your activity are enough to worry even some of the most rational drivers.

The scariest part for most motorists is the lack of legal precedents in cases involving GPS evidence, leaving them as the unwilling guinea pigs in technology's surveillance laboratory. Somewhere, George Orwell is smiling.

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