Ethics of GPS tracking your children..

[Ruger1022]

With technology aggressively moving forward everyday in the aspects of GPS tracking. Would you have any sort of moral dilemma with tracking your own children? Especially with recent events in Calgary and all over the world with missing children I am finding myself questioning whether or not I should track my kids. I have a tracking device on one of my RC airplanes in the event I crash it and can’t locate it with sight of eye, I can always track it by GPS. So why not track my kids in the same fashion in the event something went terribly wrong. My kids are the absolute most important thing in my life, why not have that piece of mind.
Don’t let this thread lead you to believe that I may be a “helicopter” parent or I wrap my kids up in bubble wrap for protection. For anyone that knows me on here I have lived and still live my life pushing my limits in everything I do and I teach my kids the same..

Am I crazy? or have any of you guys thought of something like this?

[wildwoods]

As an external device perhaps. Times like this really make a guy think....

[silverdoctor]

Considering it's GPS, you're probably not the only one to do it.

This thread could get interesting. Lemme make some popcorn and grab a beer.

[Ithaca Dog]

I think you can already do this by tracking their cell phone. I've thought about it from that angle but not from a micro chip style tracker. Seems a awfully invasive. Opens the door to tracking people in general. I wouldn't be opposed to having a tracking device medically installed in murderers and sex offenders. I feel like you should lose some basic rights when you destroy and drain your society. But I'm off topic. I would not gps track my kids beyond find your iPhone searches. If they don't like it tough. I'm still the parent in charge of their safety and conduct.

[silverdoctor]

Ok, beer in hand...

How would you feel if your wife felt the need to track you through GPS? To know where you are at all times?

I know both women and men that track their spouses, just click into an app and find out where they are. I would never feel comfortable with someone doing that to me, show's no trust at all...

I don't feel like it's my right to start a fight and tell the spouses either, if that makes sense.

[Gorram]

So long as they remain your responsibility, and you think the circumstances warrant it - I think it's part of the job. When they become responsible for themselves (vs age of majority) then it's just as creepy as you tracking a stranger.

My 2 cents.

[CaberTosser]

We do have the "find my iPhone' app's and when I'm travelling I'll encourage Mrs Caber show junior where I am on the map. She'll text me once in a while indicating that she's peeked at my whereabouts, but it's not in a way that's eerie. I could see that being the case with how some would use it though (take for instance that recent thread on the fictitious stalker-chick).

With our son he's not quite old enough to be heading out solo, but perhaps that in itself is a reason to have such a thing with him? I really don't think we'd go any further than tracking his cell once he actually has one.

[zabbo]

Guess George had the date wrong. Title should have been 2014. hahahaha

[Fisherpeak]

An external device would be removed by a kidnapper,therefor making it useless.
Chip`em like an expensive dog.Thet can have it removed when they turn 18.

[Fisherpeak]

Ok, beer in hand...

How would you feel if your wife felt the need to track you through GPS? To know where you are at all times?

I know both women and men that track their spouses, just click into an app and find out where they are. I would never feel comfortable with someone doing that to me, show's no trust at all...

I don't feel like it's my right to start a fight and tell the spouses either, if that makes sense.

My wife can click Apps(whatever the hell that is) all she wants.I have nothing to hide.
I also never had and never will have a cell phone.I hate the landline phone,can`t imagine having something that rings when I am fishing or hunting.We hardly talk anymore,she texts and goes HUH? from time to time.
Me and my hound talk all the time.

[Cowtown guy]

Wifey can track me if she wants to. I have absolutely no problem with it. I have nothing to hide. She doesn't have to though either. I don't lie to her. Even when the crew used to go for boobies and beer after work at the local "dance" house.

I don't see an issue with it with kids either. This case right now had me thinking about it the other day actually. There are definitely some things that would be needed to be worked out though to help eliminate the creepy factor.

[leeaspell]

If you can track your kid with GPS, what's to stop the pedos from figuring out some way to track them as well.

[Bushrat]

If you can track your kid with GPS, what's to stop the pedos from figuring out some way to track them as well.

Exactly, as with any technology, there will be ways found to abuse it if it becomes common..it might save some kid and it very easily could also become the method of locating kids to abuse. Treading on dangerous ground with stuff like this.

[6gunner]

I have enabled the find my I-phone app on all of our Apple products including my daughters phone. I have it locked so she can't turn it off. She knows this and we have already used to find a lost phone (mine). This gives us a little peace of mind when she is out with friends. My wife can use it to see where I am at any given time and I don't care. Having a GPS tracker saved my life a few years back after a rollover incident so I personally love the technology.

[honda450]

Not kids, but we have GPS tracking on all of our company trucks....bout 60. They can tell if they are running , parked, shut off, speed, location, etc. You would not even know they are there.

They say for anti theft reasons. Yup right.

Dang getting hard to hide these days. hehehe

[Quinn]

If I had kids I'd do it.

We have gps police on our field trucks too. Tracks them and notifies if they are started off hours or parked outside job locations, etc. it's caught more than a few people wasting company time.

Point of the story? If they have nothing to hide they shouldn't care.

[densa44]

We track them now with a bracelet ever since a lady froze to death in Edmonton while a patient at the good Sam. It has ethical issues but so far it is the best that we have to protect the mentally frail.

[recce43]

just wrong .... I guess we are going to give away our freedoms cause we get scared.....

[hillbillyreefer]

just wrong .... I guess we are going to give away our freedoms cause we get scared.....

Too true. Many examples of it, spying by government on our communications, gun control, are two of my favorites.

[ren008]

Maybe for the little ones external trackers would make some sense, but for anything approaching teens it would probably backfire.

What better way to demonstrate to your kids you have no trust or faith in them? Or even worse,to lull yourself into a false sense of security. "Oh ya mom I'll be at Jimmy's all night", as the tracker device/phone sits on Jimmy's counter-top while kid is out and about who knows where, knowing that his folks must have zero faith in his ability to make good choices. Respect/trust building for teens must be a two-way street to at least some degree.

Implanted chips just bring up horror thoughts of abductors/molesters getting into the habit of lopping off limbs post-abduction to remove the offending device once they become common use.

[silverdoctor]

Figured most of the responses would be all for it, no big surprise there. But of course, when you have a phone someone somewhere can find you, knows where you are. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear. Wow.


I could easily slip a tracker into my girlfriends phone, but why would I? I couldn't imagine living life with someone that needed/wanted to know my whereabouts 24/7. It honestly creeped me out when I was at a clients, and an employee kept checking her phone watching her husbands every move.

When I was with the ex, both her teen girls had phones. I'm sure I could have tracked them but having to weigh privacy over security? Sure, the oldest partied, she spent a night in the drunk tank at 17 - and didn't dare call home. She did some stupid things but those were her choices, and I think she's a better person for it. Sure I had many nights worried about her and her whereabouts. We educated her and hoped she would make the right choices - but I know for sure I didn't when I was her age.

Why is it that when we were kids, we had freedom. I was gone from sun up to past sun down, i'm sure mom worried but c'est la vie. Teen years were the same. Today that same generation, our generation is freaked out that a child might get hurt. How does that work? Have things changed that much or is it percieved on our behalf?

I'm just trying to wrap my head around the use of technology.

I can understand wanting to keep a close eye on a 10 year old, but how old should a child be before they are old enough to carry a phone. I know if I had bugged the girls' phones, and they found out, all hell would have broke loose - and trust gone.


I bought the girls a new computer for family use some years ago, told them they can have their privacy. But I also told them when red flags went up, I would be neck deep in their online life. The oldest still asks me how I managed to find her all the time.

[wolf308]

just wrong .... I guess we are going to give away our freedoms cause we get scared.....

with this guy^

[angery jonn]

I thought people were already injecting chips under the skin, for location purpose's.

[Carson12]

Why is it that when we were kids, we had freedom. I was gone from sun up to past sun down, i'm sure mom worried but c'est la vie. Teen years were the same. Today that same generation, our generation is freaked out that a child might get hurt. How does that work? Have things changed that much or is it percieved on our behalf?

Because when we were kids there was just as much dangerous stuff that went on, but it wasn't as well known. Today few parents live in a vacuum - we are made aware of every potential danger; not saying that's a good thing, but there's the difference - if something happens you certainly can't claim ignorance as easily. The line in the sand between naievety and negligence has shifted since we were kids.

How far do you take that? I don't live in fear. I don't track my kids. But I do make them do stuff that I never did as a kid, like wear a helmet when riding their bikes, or tell me whose house they're going to play at.

[rugatika]

I'd say it's perfectly within a parents rights to do so, but if I lived in a world where that was something I felt necessary, I probably wouldn't have kids.

[KWO]

I agree that it is within a parent's rights to do so. However, and I think this depends a lot on the situation, the parents and the child, I think that trust is an important thing to consider. I often worry about the well being of my children. However, I also know that a major influence on my kid's behaviour is that I trust them and they trust me.

[kevinhits]

We have Find My Iphone activated on all our phones... my wife knows where I am out fishing just in case I do not come back in time:) This is not a trust issue by any means....If we lose our phones or they get stolen, you can narrow that Iphone app to the exact house or area where it is. It cannot be disabled without your iphone username and password.. My kids, while under my roof, will have that Iphone App....I do not agree with any sort of GPS chipping though.....This is just wrong:)

[Moo Snukkle]

Love the idea of tracking my kids. Find my IPhone is a joke. They can delete the app if they want to ditch you from snooping. A secret GPS chip in my sons vehicle would let me know his if he is lying as to his whereabouts. If he's honest 9 times out of 10 I'll overlook that 10th time. A pattern of lying would lead to me "correcting" his behaviour. Would cost me more time and money but saves him from me extracting the truth from him in an unpleasant way.

[kevinhits]

Love the idea of tracking my kids. Find my IPhone is a joke. They can delete the app if they want to ditch you from snooping. A secret GPS chip in my sons vehicle would let me know his if he is lying as to his whereabouts. If he's honest 9 times out of 10 I'll overlook that 10th time. A pattern of lying would lead to me "correcting" his behaviour. Would cost me more time and money but saves him from me extracting the truth from him in an unpleasant way.

To delete the app, they must know your Itunes password...If not, no delete:)

[silverdoctor]

Because when we were kids there was just as much dangerous stuff that went on, but it wasn't as well known. Today few parents live in a vacuum - we are made aware of every potential danger; not saying that's a good thing, but there's the difference - if something happens you certainly can't claim ignorance as easily. The line in the sand between naievety and negligence has shifted since we were kids.

Parent's today think they are more informed... They are not.

Lets take the "find my iphone" app - yep, great technology using GPS. GPS is great in itself, but does have major downsides.

Facebook for example - how many here have a facebook account?
How many have the facebook app on their phone? How many have sat down and read the terms of use? John Oliver said it best, he could put all of "Mein Kampf" in the TOU and people wouldn't have a clue. You're using technology to track your kids whereabouts? Great! Wonderful! But so is the rest of the world. This is just facebook...

We receive data from or about the computer, mobile phone, or other devices you use to install Facebook apps or to access Facebook, including when multiple users log in from the same device. This may include network and communication information, such as your IP address or mobile phone number, and other information about things like your internet service, operating system, location, the type (including identifiers) of the device or browser you use, or the pages you visit. For example, we may get your GPS or other location information so we can tell you if any of your friends are nearby, or we could request device information to improve how our apps work on your device.

Do people even understand what this means? We are not in a 6 degrees of separation society anymore.


In my line of work, I get to talk to many people - many are concerned parents, they want to know about technology. One story in particular haunts me, and the fact that mom was clueless about her childs online presence, it breaks my heart.

6 years ago, this child suffered at the hands of some ******* that tracked her online - and it wasn't tracking. This kid put everything online in her Nexopia profile, including her home address, where she worked, the hours she worked and the fact that she walked home, all of her pictures - and this isn't uncommon. Guess someone drew a line from A to B, that's all it took. Long story short, this 15 year old girl was left for dead.

The big issue is that too many parents' don't understand the capabilities of the technology. It's a tool that you can use yes, but it's a tool that many others are using as well.

[Okotokian]

Yes and no. I'd turn on the GPS funcion on their phone, but I'm not in favour of chipping kids. :)