The moment that men
successfully launched the first man-made satellite to orbit around the earth,
the first time humans were able to attach a battery-less microchip to a
consumer good, and the first time devices were connected via a radio frequency
were huge milestones in the digital revolution. As technology improved, Digital
Tracking was introduced to the modern world. Like any other innovations in the
present society, these tracking technologies give us a lot of benefits but it
also can be abused when put in malicious hands.
Here are
some ways how digital tracking can be abused:
Computer Surveillance
Concerns over privacy and the possibility of a totalitarian state where political dissent is impossible and opponents of state policy are removed.
Forgive Me, Officer.
Police might try to obtain
tracking data for an investigation, or just to issue tickets after the fact.
Hackers Alert!
Malicious hackers can easily get into your mobile phone or computer devices to access your personal data and use them for bad intentions.
Stalker Or Admirer?
With modern
tracking devices, it has become easier for stalkers to follow you around in
which you may end up in harm.
No Consent
Private companies
that provide tracking services in cellular phones can store location data
without user’s explicit consent.
Digital tracking allow for easy access of
your personal information and all your assets.
Not My Car’s Tracking Device
Hackers could disable a car's RFID anti-theft feature.
It seems to cross the line when technology that's used for inventory management or keeping track of pets is then placed in human beings and that raises ethical issues.
Government Surveillance Powers
The government can use cellular phones as tracking devices to monitor an individual's location.
Global Positioning Systems, and other technologies used by phone companies have unexpectedly made it easier for abusers to track their victims. In the online world, consumers who surf the internet unintentionally surrender all kinds of personal information to marketing firms that use invisible tracking technology to monitor online activity.
To end with
a good note, here are the benefits and advantages of this kind of technology:
An
item or vehicle with GPS or RFID can be easily tracked when it is lost or
stolen.
Law
enforcement agencies have been using locating enabled bracelets to maintain
location information in the tracking of minimum security prison.
New child-tracking services
offered by cellular phone carriers allow parents to track their cellphone
equipped children on a Web based map.
Animal Protection Program
Animal rescue efforts use
microchips to keep an eye on the locations and the reproduction of endangered
species. These animals are tagged with chips to be tracked as they travel and
migrate to other areas. It provides opportunities to restore animal species,
monitor migration patterns, and monitor population increases in animal groups.
Vehicles
equipped with digital tracking allow them to notify the owner if there are
mechanical problems within the automobile.
GPS tracking devices can be
used as vehicle navigators. If you are new to a place, you do not have to worry about getting
lost and asking for directions if your car has a GPS tracking device. Here, you
will be able to determine the exact location, calculate the distance and verify
the direction that you need to take in order to arrive at a particular place.
The same goes for boats which have a GPS tracking device, to make it easier to
find your direction as you sail.
Sports
enthusiasts and health conscious individuals can use these devices to calculate
the range that they travelled as they worked out.
The response to digital magazines can be tracked
much more closely and quickly, therefore, publishers should be prepared to
supply and interpret the audience response data for their clients.
In Sickness And In Health
New microchips which are worn close to the body can record a
person’s biological parameters and send distress signals during medical
emergencies.
Watching all Internet traffic is important, because by
knowing everything that everyone is reading and writing, they can identify
terrorists and criminals, and protect society from them.
Now, it is up to you to decide whether Digital
Tracking is more of an advantage or disadvantage.
Frizz…
