TTA Archives 2005-2012

The Wall Street Journal headline, Private GPS Use Benefits Alzheimer’s Patients – And Jealous Spouses Too, does grab. In short, last week’s decision by the US Supreme Court ruling that police obtain a search warrant before installing a GPS tracking device on a car (Fourth Amendment) doesn’t apply to private citizens. This is good news for those of us who are marketing or using GPS devices to help keep track of an autistic child or an older person with Alzheimers/dementia–but not great for those of us who might have a jealous spouse or fear a stalker attaching a device on a car. Surprisingly, only California and Texas ban trackers without consent (exceptions for anti-theft devices such as LoJack and for law enforcement). One wonders if anyone is selling a GPS detector?