There is a great amount of concern about the privacy aspect of GPS and auto navigation systems and devices. Many people are strict guardians of their privacy as it has become so sacred and so easily invaded. I for one, certainly understand that desire to maintain one's privacy and do not endorse on any level using these types of devices in order to invade the privacy of total strangers or bending the law and legal protections we have in place in order to protect people from actions such as this. On the other hand, it is great to know that if I make a 911 call from my GPS enabled cell phone, I can be found even if I have no clue as to where I am actually located. The same holds true for On Star. You can be located by the GPS information that the company has access to. The really good news is that you are not completely sacrificing your privacy or your right to that privacy for the sake of security. There are very strict laws in place to protect your privacy from invasive eyes, even during a legal preceding and there is also case law and precedence to support the understanding that your GPS coordinates cannot be given out even if there is credible evidence or reasonable suspicion. Privacy is so important in America that it has been guaranteed to our citizens. In this day and age of big brother and with the fear of the horrible things that could happen being sensationalized in Hollywood, the idea of privacy isn't as foreign of a concept as we thought it was. The idea of privacy and invading privacy is another reason that many parents are more than a little hesitant about utilizing the GPS tracking capabilities of their children's cell phones. While we struggle with the notion of invading the privacy of our children we also know without a doubt that we want to protect our children from potential harm with every fiber of our beings. That protection includes protecting them from themselves on occasion no matter how distasteful that process may be. Knowing where our children are at all times is one of many ways that we can help protect them from the evils of the world while also being available at a moments notice. The flip side of course is that our children can find us whenever they need us also so we are essentially sacrificing some degree of our privacy in order to be available to our children at all times and to know where they are. Be sure to remind your teen or preteen of this whenever they grumble that you are checking up on them. The price to pay for these services is marginal when compared to the wonderful benefits they offer families with children, teens, or even elderly who may need to be monitored for whatever reason. Protecting our loved ones is one of the many benefits of auto navigation systems and GPS technology that can't be measured with a price tag or a certain weight in gold. Whether you decide to make use of this technology for you and your family you should rest assured in the knowledge that you aren't exposing your day-to-day travels to any passerby. Your privacy is still safe from strangers, while your family may be a different subject all together.

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