Editor's Corner

There was a news item recently about how a Korean telecom had developed a service offering the ability to track wireless cell users. You could get updates on where they've been for the past few hours or an alert on movements every few hours. Check out this BusinessWeek article for more about it.

The fact that 4 million Koreans were already using the service sent a chill down my spine. Yes, both parties have to sign up for the service, so it's not like you can just track anyone; but given all the insecurities today, what wouldn't stop someone from using such technology to illegally locate and track a user.

That's why a report about a court ruling that the FBI is not allowed to track cell users restored my faith that big brother can't overshadow civil liberties, at least just yet, when it comes to new communication services. The feds can't try to locate or track someone via a cell phone unless they have some proof there is a need to--that a crime has occurred or is in progress. The FBI was also hoping to get an OK to get locations via cell phones but can't do that now with a show cause order.

The idea that people can now be tracked, located or watched via a cell phone is scary in many respects, especially in light of the fact that cell phone services don't even identify themselves via conventional call waiting or caller ID functions. I'm all for any technology that boosts business, makes work easier, fosters greater and stronger communication. But every new technology demands some discussion and review of privacy issues and a user's expectation of privacy. - Judy