Cell companies are planning on introducing a service where for 50 cents, someone can find out where you are (your cell phone, anyway). Are you ok with this?

No. I think this should be reserved to be used only by the authorities or as a subscriber service available to the person paying the bill for that particular phone. It absolutely should not be available for people to track anyone they chose.

First of all, it's unlikely that this is going to be released to "the public at large". Stalkers won't be able to track you just by paying a nominal service charge. The phone companies aren't THAT stupid! They want to keep their customer base.

But as for parents who have phones for children, this would be a wonderful service for them. For people who frequently lose telephone handsets, they'd sign up for this in a minute. For people going into the woods or mountains and who may be lost, it could be a lifesaver.

But don't lose sight of the fact that even if this technology is put in place, it's not necessarily going to say where "you" are. All it will do is locate "the handset." If you choose to be where it is, THEN you can be located.

A lot of companies already have that. I guess you don't know that the "watcher" is on most phones. You can track any phone.

Gosh we're all paranoid! ;-(
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I am certain that access to the service would be limited.
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We are all so concerned about it being missuesed that we forget to look at the possible benefits, locating persons lost or injured, makig sure your kids are o.k.
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I would gladly have the service, provided I can limit who can use it.

I think it would be nice for some things. Like if you forbid your teenager from going to a party or something you could find them. or in case of an emergency . But I think the majority of people who use that service will be checking up on bfs or gfs. Or weirdos stalking people. I dont know why this service would be absolutely neccesary..

No, I am not even a little okay with that.

whattt??
no thats creepy what if a stalker got a hold of your number??
where did u hear this?

Nope!

absolutely not

I understand that some employer issued cell phones are GPS traceable at the present time.

I dont like it at all! Maybe if emergency services could use it to track, or parents could sign up to use it on a specific number, and like need proof as to why they wanted to track? Just allowing anyone to track anyone would be like spying, so id be out. No privacy.

good for parent/kids to keep tabs

No, thank God I don't have a cell phone!

All the more reason to keep your cellphone turned off when not using it. Only police with a warrant should be allowed that information, I think the Supreme Court will ultimately rule that way (about a decade from now). +5

No,i have already been threatened by animal rights nuts.

It is fine with me like every body else has said it can have some really good benefits for family's with elderly and young kids, but for me i really don't care cause the way it looks me and my Mestiere Delle Armi will be in the Mountains and Sand Box of the Far East to really have to worry about it lol.

If it's true, I don't like that idea. If I want someone to know where I am, then I will tell him/her.

I'm ok with it so long as it can only be used by parents or authorities who have a warrant. However if we go down this slippery slope there is a good chance it can be used just to randomly spy on people. And what happens if lets say your child's phone is the only once picked up for being in the vicinity of a crime but they were never near at the crime spot and so now the authorities think they are guilty because no one else bought their phone to the actual crime scene? Now throw in the wrong race card and the wrong place at the wrong time and your kid is screwed.

Not at all (except in the case of a parent and their children). Other than that, I would say it falls under stalking.