GPS and Ethical Issues

The advent of global positioning system technology has transformed the possibilities for knowing where one is and what time it is anywhere in the world. At the core of GPS technology is a network of satellites operated by the US Defense Department that are in orbit around the earth. Determining exact latitude and longitude is accomplished by triggering the GPS device to receive signals from four satellites. The receiver, which is a computer, automatically calculates its exact longitude and latitude by determining how long it takes for the signal to arrive from each satellite's known position in space (Pease, 2000). Some GPS receivers not only receive satellite signals but also transmit their own position, which enables those with GPS tracking capability to pinpoint the location of the receiver. Transmission utility has been embedded into automobile locator devices, cellular telephones, and wristwatches. That enables those who are equipped with GPS monitors--for example, auto-service companies, emergency-response entities, fleet managers, or individuals who want to know whereabouts of children or the elderly--are i

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A, it so happened that in 2000 it was voluntarily discontinued by the US because of the proliferation of GPS across global industries and through various layers of society, including emergency-response teams, which require as much accuracy as possible in their search capabilities (Clinton, 2000). A more vexed ethical issue with respect to GPS arises from the fact of its high quality of locating technology. While the benefit of GPS technology is that it is virtually impossible for a GPS user to get completely lost even in the most dense wilderness or in the vast oceans, there may be a perceived disadvantage to being vulnerable to detection from any quarter. Though the benefit of being able to be found is obvious in the case of a medical emergency or other difficulty, GPS technology embedded into cellular telephones makes mischief with privacy for cell-phone users. The marketing efforts of GPS manufacturers make much of the ability of GPS to track stolen or broken-down automobiles, and more recently they have touted the benefits of GPS-based personal security, especially for children vulnerable to abduction, hikers, and Alzheimer's patients (Murray, 2002). The fact that GPS technology can be miniaturized to fit in wristwatches and
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Defense Department, John Ashcroft, , Engineering Times, Administration Web, Murray CJ, gps technology, Patriot Act, United States', References Clinton, Pease RA, global positioning system, global positioning, positioning system, military civilian, cellular telephones, murray 2002, employed monitor, gibbons 2003, system technology, ethical issues, positioning system technology,
Approximate Word count = 1276
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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