Phone keeps track of the kids - Sunday Mail
KAY DIBBEN
18jan04
PARENTS soon will be able to track their teenagers' whereabouts 24 hours a day through mobile phone SMS.
A new service to be launched in Australia will cheaply allow parents to locate their children and help business people track staff movements.
Parents who request the location of their child's mobile phone will get an SMS message within about 30 seconds or view the location on a computer map.
It should show the street or nearest landmark within 25 to 100 metres.
While other tracking systems rely on GPS satellites, users of the Findafone service will need only recent-model mobile phones.
The service calculates the location based on reports from the three nearest mobile phone base stations to which it is responding.
Compared with Global Positioning System tracking services, which can cost up to $1000, Findafone is expected to cost $50 to connect and about 50¢ every time it is used.
Parents also can set up regular location checks to find out where their children are at set times each day and even pay extra for an SMS alert if children move into "no go zones".
The system will work even if the mobile phone is indoors, but it can track only if the phone is switched on.
Graham Thomas, director of Internav, the Australian software company introducing Findafone, says the system has "peace of mind" and security benefits for parents concerned about their children getting lost or going missing, and for carers of elderly people.
He sees great benefits for business, such as trucking companies trying to keep track of drivers' locations and firms who will be able to tell customers how long it will take their mobile staff to reach the client.
While some people have raised privacy concerns, Mr Thomas said nobody could be tracked unless they first gave permission and then repeated that authorisation monthly.
And only people authorised to request the information will be able to access the information, after giving a password.
Queensland Council of Civil Liberties president Ian Dearden said use of the tracking technology was acceptable only if a staff member or child gave consent without duress.
If it were used without the child's knowledge it would be a breach of privacy.
The system could be worthwhile if children saw it as a joint partnership with parents to help protect their security, Mr Dearden said.
Phone keeps track of the kids
Another way to rake in the $$$
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