Cell Phones and Privacy

Prepaid cell phones have many advantages. Such as, they are a great thing to use especially when travelling abroad. I know a lot of times my family and I will invest in prepaid cell phones while in other countries so we don't have to be bombarded with the expensive international fees. They are also a very good tool when starting someone out on a cell phone for the first time. That way, they are ensured not to abuse it - like too many texts or phone calls - and they can understand and train on it before they get a legitamete cell phone.

Since it is common for criminals to use prepaid phones then I agree that the government should put laws and restrictions on them. They should still have people register when using a prepaid phone and figure out ways to find out their location. That way, if a criminal is using a prepaid phone to their advantage and this person is a threat to the community, the police would be able to track them. I have no problem with this what so ever. If someone is just using a prepaid phone innocently as a starter phone or on a vacation then they should have no problem allowing people to find out their location. I have nothing to hide so I would not mind at all.

Location Tracking

I understand why people would want to put chips in their animals, being a dog lover myself - I always want to know where my pet is. I am not a parent, but I know the bond to your child would be even stronger. I understand that in the off chance that someone's child goes missing for whatever reason, the parents should have the right to know where their child is. When children are younger they are unaware of their surroundings and it is very easy for anything to happen. There are always technology glitches, and risks can come from that. Other people, people you may not want to have knowing, may cross paths with the GPS system and can find out where your child may be. That could cause major threats to the child's life.

As a teenager, I would NEVER want my parents to insert a chip into me. I have always been honest with my parents, but that doesn't mean they should know my whereabouts every minute of every day. I am responsible enough and I should be allowed that privacy.

If Congress were to pass a law that children under the age of 5 needed chips inserted inside of them, I am not sure whether or not I am opposed. I can see both sides of the argument. It can help protect our children, because when they are younger, we need to know their whereabouts. But I would want to know further research - whether or not there would be any implications, any side effects, what if the chip somehow infected them? It is not exactly natural to have a computer chip inside your body so I would want to know exactly how that would affect it.

As the argument for GPS shoes goes, I agree with that. People have the ability to consent to wearing them. It is not at all implementing their privacy because they have agreed to it, and it would make their family feel better off in the long run. GPS shoes would be a great idea all around.

Hi! I am creating this blog for my Computer Science class (CS 408-03) at the University of New Hampshire, Durham. Currently, we are learning about privacy and ethics and its correlation with the internet. We are debating whether or not the internet is truly ethical.