Time: The Government Can Use GPS to Track Your Moves

[August]

Or they could just put a couple donut eaters in an unmarked and follow the suspect like they have always done. Is this electronic version of the discrete tail any more intrusive?

[CCIP]

Originally Posted by August

Or they could just put a couple donut eaters in an unmarked and follow the suspect like they have always done. Is this electronic version of the discrete tail any more intrusive?

No, but like I said, the main thing is that it's a lot cheaper and less labour-intensive. That may (or may not) make it more likely to actually be deployed to monitor someone just-in-case, as opposed to on a serious lead. Putting cops on someone's tail is at least one of those things where the question of "is it really worth it?" would likely come up.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by CCIP

. That may (or may not) make it more likely to actually be deployed to monitor someone

That sentence made me think of this.

Imagine if the local authorities came by your house, and slapped an ankle monitor on you, without any provocation that you were aware of. They just show up one day, and slap one of those ankle monitors on you, so they know where you are at all times.

A GPS slapped on your car, without a warrant, is the same damn thing.

[CCIP]

That'd be pretty disturbing indeed. But my assumption was that having a GPS monitor like that placed on the car was something that was done discretely and without your knowledge...

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by CCIP

That'd be pretty disturbing indeed. But my assumption was that having a GPS monitor like that placed on the car was something that was done discretely and without your knowledge...

If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody's around to hear it, does it still make a sound?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Imagine if the local authorities came by your house, and slapped an ankle monitor on you, without any provocation that you were aware of. They just show up one day, and slap one of those ankle monitors on you, so they know where you are at all times.

And you know that if they could do it without you noticing they would.

[gimpy117]

but nobody was worried about bush wiretapping

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by gimpy117

but nobody was worried about bush wiretapping

I was. I don't care who does it. It's wrong.

But you seem bent on turning everything into your own partisan politics, so why would you believe me?

[August]

Originally Posted by CCIP

No, but like I said, the main thing is that it's a lot cheaper and less labour-intensive. That may (or may not) make it more likely to actually be deployed to monitor someone just-in-case, as opposed to on a serious lead. Putting cops on someone's tail is at least one of those things where the question of "is it really worth it?" would likely come up.

Well one thing to consider is that a GPS device can't tell you who is driving the car. As evidence it would be a heckuva lot weaker than a couple detectives testifying that they actually saw the defendant get out of the vehicle at the crime scene.