Missouri approves tracking cell phones for real-time traffic data

Kansas City Star via AP via kansascity.com ^ | 12/2/05 | GARANCE BURKE

[Uncle Vlad]

Not only does government abuse everything eventually, but we're talking about the government abusing our privacy rights with today's technology. What's it going to be like when we have widespread use of molecular and nanotechnology? Are people still going to say, "If you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't worry?"

[Erik Latranyi]

Later, the government will claim that they absolutely need this information for, well, take your pick of reasons.

So, because it could be expanded in the future, it is completely bad now? Sorry, that is a bad reason.

Firearm owners have battled this for decades. We provide all sorts of information in order to purchase firearms, but have successfully fought every attempt at creating a database of personal information.

Firearm owners know that the price of freedom is eternal vigilence. You can never rest easy.

[Erik Latranyi]

What's it going to be like when we have widespread use of molecular and nanotechnology?

It's going to be the same battles we have fought for the last 200+ years. Firearm owners have fought for decades to keep their information from being placed into a database.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilence. Politics is a game that has no end.

[DBrow]

That's not an RFID device. It's software that tells not only which tower you ping to, but which side of the triangular array you connect to.

So the police, when you dial 911, can locate you within a particular region of a cell.

You're lucky to get it on a card- many carriers just upload new software to your phone without telling you.

[DBrow]

Yup, it's wise to read the contract before you agree to it.

And since President Clinton signed The Electronic Commerce bill, merely saying "yes" or "I agree" has the legal weight of a signature:

THIS AGREEMENT STARTS WHEN YOU ACCEPT.

Paragraphs marked "∞ " continue after it ends. You accept when you do any of the following things after an opportunity to review this agreement:

* Give us a written or electronic signature;

* Tell us orally or electronically that you accept;

* Activate your service through your wireless phone;

* Open a package that says you are accepting by opening it; or

* Use your service after making any change or addition when we've told you that the change or addition requires acceptance.

So when you sign up for a phone at a mall kiosk and either sign something or say Yup when they say "do you agree to our terms.... you get stuff like what I posted above.

Read contracts before you agree to them, and you avoid agreeing to have your cell carrier send the serial number to the traffic cops without sending personal or confidential information.