Rethinking Privacy Part 2

In part 1 I talked about how people should focus more on how people are using their data rather than just obsessing over the invasion of privacy. Not many people actually stalk you with that information, it's used for marketing purposes and statistical data or even to ensure safety such as in places like the airport.

Leading off of the idea of the importance on how "invasion of privacy" is used, the concept of parents being able to track their children should be of more concern. Unlike companies and the government who track you as simply a number in a system, parents are interested in exactly what their children are doing and why.

When is it appropriate to stalk your child? "Stalking" is a strong word, but by definition it is pursuing someone with "unwanted or obsessive attention" (dictionary.com). Most teenagers would describe getting tagged with a GPS tracker as falling under that category. How about for young children who don't know any better than to trust strangers or wander off? I personally think GPS trackers, particularly in a theme park where there are so many distractions and so many people that it's easy to lose your child, where is that line when the child becomes too old to be constantly followed?

By insisting on tracking your teenager, it can create problems where the teenager thinks you don't trust them enough to make the right decisions. Shouldn't there be a moment when you have to be satisfied that you raised your child to make good decisions? If not, trying to control them into their teenage years or young adulthood isn't going to have any impact on them except make them resent you more for your lack of trust.

I think parents need to make their own distinction based on their child's personality and maturity when to let go of the tracker, although if they continue using it into their child's teenage years that would be cause for concern. We need to worry about defining that line between using tracking devices for safety or for stalking.