Big Brother is keeping tabs on satnav motorists

Big Brother is keeping tabs on satnav motorists

www.dailymail.co.uk

A secret 'Big Brother' operation is allowing officials to pinpoint the exact location of thousands of vehicles with satellite navigation systems.

This includes a unique number identifying the vehicle, two six-figure Ordnance Survey readings for the location, and the date and time when the information was captured. It also includes what kind of vehicle it is, the speed it is travelling and the direction.

(visit the link for the full news article)

More TAX on the way?

Police to use this information?...what if someone erm borrowed your car (without your consent) commited a crime and then returned your vehicle. Would you find yourself in prison?

www.dailymail.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

But the bit you missed out was:

"Currently the 'spy in the sky' system is limited to some 50,000 drivers who have Trafficmaster's Smartnav system."

Yes limited to just 50'000 motrorists who don't know about it. How many next year and the year after?

Is it just these 50'000 or are other satnav companies doing the same?

Other SatNav systems are transferrable between vehicles / owners whereas the Trafficmaster system is usually a factory fit option from the vehicle manufacturer. So, currently your average Road Angel or Tom Tom user is unlikely to be tracked anywhere.
However, there is still talk of mandatory "Black Boxes" to be fitted to all new cars to aid in accident investigation and insurance. I think it was Norwich Union that already has a trial scheme in place where policy holders can have a unit installed in their cars which sends back data to the insurer who then "tailors" policies to the individual.

Personally I don't care who it is wanting to monitor where I go, by what route, at what speeds - it's none of their bloody business

It would sure make hit-and-run drivers think twice before running down bike riders and then speeding off.

Maybe it would make people more courteous on the roads.

Of course there's potential for abuse of the system. Just like the agency in Minority Report, the reports could be falsified and cause trumped up charges to be issued.

I'd have thought it was quite a good idea to keep close tabs on people who, despite being allowed behind the wheel of a powerful motor car, are incapable of reading maps or roadsigns and will happily drive an artic up a narrow mud track if a box on their dashboard tells them to

Really don't see the point of sat nav other than for locating specific addresses in urban areas.

No different than Onstar except Onstar can listen in without you knowing.

mikell

Originally posted by mikellmikell
No different than Onstar except Onstar can listen in without you knowing.

Yeah but they cannot listen if you plug/cover the opening for the mic.

No big deal anyhow since most if not all modern day car MFG's can monitor the on board computers that will tell them what may or may not have caused an accident. Also furnish information like before airbag deployed did the driver apply brakes, stuff like that. I do like the fact that it can tell me when my tires go low though

[edit on 9/25/2007 by shots]