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When I went shopping for my new car, I requested a model with a Global Positioning System (GPS) display. That was hard to find in the mid-priced range I was seeking – some auto manufacturers seem to think that knowing where one is should be a luxury – but I got one, after a bit of a wait. Having recently moved to a new city, and being what some politely call "geographically challenged," I had high hopes that this "luxury" item would keep me from getting lost.
Such has been the case, for the most part, although Wanda – I named her for the GPS system's female voice that often makes me "wanda" where on earth she is taking me, as she "wandas" all over the map – frequently chooses routes that make local residents snicker or fidget impatiently as she takes forever to get us where we're going. To her credit, Wanda was tremendously helpful when my family was traveling, as she was able to direct us easily to the nearest hotel or restaurant.
GPS functions are becoming commonplace in our lives. In addition to cars, they're now appearing on cell phones in an interesting variety of applications, from buddy lists to travelogues of nearby attractions. New companies are springing up, eager to become the first and the most successful provider of these innovations. Here in the U.S., this is largely an outgrowth of the 1996 "E-911" mandate of the Federal Communications Commission, which required that by December 31 of 2005, all cellular carriers must be capable of identifying the precise location of a wireless caller, in order to facilitate prompt response to 911 emergency calls. Necessity leads to opportunity.
But opportunity for whom? As always, with benefits come risks. If emergency services always know where I am, then so does someone hacking into their system – and if hackers can easily break into secure government servers (as news reports would have us believe), then hacking into a commercial operation must be child's play. The ramifications are frightening. In addition to the obvious potential for data theft and misuse, there is the issue of personal security. Although the fact that I'm on Interstate 65 may be of little interest to a criminal, the fact that I'm not at home might be, or the fact that I'm likely to be alone, as only one signal is broadcasting from my location. I can always turn my cell phone off, but that would hamper critical response time if I need to make a 911 call, or if I'm too severely injured to make one. While my phone is on, it is transmitting, with all its associated blights and blessings.
What about the signal that's coming from my child's phone, identifying her location to a potential abductor? On the other hand, would a discretely hidden GPS locator serve as a deterrent, or as a means of speedy rescue if she is abducted? The questions are many. Ideally, the start-up company that tackles these security issues should be the clear winner, but sadly, the larger carriers are likely to be more interested in the ones that have the cutest interface or catchiest new games. Safety isn't likely to become a major consideration unless we speak up and make it one. We need to do that.
I worry about this. Meanwhile, I wend my way home on this snowy day, grateful that Wanda is able to route me away from the major thoroughfares littered with abandoned cars, where the southern road-warriors have made it abundantly clear that they never learned how to drive on slick highways. Thank you, Wanda, and the company that developed you.
I'm keeping my cell phone on, in case I need to use it if I get stuck, hoping that no interlopers will figure that out. When I get home, I'm going to write to my cellular carriers and tell them exactly that. Join me?
—Ann Waterman
Copyright © 2006 by A.S. Waterman. All rights reserved.
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