LettersFromFlyoverCountry
Well Known Member
I'm a pretty transparent and public person, not given to conspiracy theories or urges to stockpile food in a cabin somewhere.
That said, I'm starting to be a little concerned about whether some of the new APRS tracking sites constitute a bit of an invasion of privacy, and whether the original spirit of APRS as a personal tracking tool has been eclipsed.
I can certainly guarantee my privacy when flying. I simply have to reach over and push a toggle switch. The problem is then APRS doesn't become useful for what I originally wanted -- a way for family/loved ones to see where I am . I have to make a choice now about whether to provide data to people I want, at the risk of providing archived data to people or entities I may not want to have it to potentially use against me for reasons I can't anticipate.
I recognize radio frequencies are public, but I just don't know whether it's a good thing that the data is being collected and repurposed in a way not originally anticipated, with all the privacy concerns therein.
It's only a matter of time, it seems to me, that some site operator gets a warrant for data to be used against a pilot, just as cellphone location data has become a tool in some cases. What are the safeguards for this data that we give up when we flip that toggle switch? Or, is there an option on any of these sites that might allow a current flight to be tracked, and then the data not saved? That's a feature I think would give us more options.
Like I said, I'm not a tin-foil hat guy, but data is data, and too much data can be dangerous.
That said, I'm starting to be a little concerned about whether some of the new APRS tracking sites constitute a bit of an invasion of privacy, and whether the original spirit of APRS as a personal tracking tool has been eclipsed.
I can certainly guarantee my privacy when flying. I simply have to reach over and push a toggle switch. The problem is then APRS doesn't become useful for what I originally wanted -- a way for family/loved ones to see where I am . I have to make a choice now about whether to provide data to people I want, at the risk of providing archived data to people or entities I may not want to have it to potentially use against me for reasons I can't anticipate.
I recognize radio frequencies are public, but I just don't know whether it's a good thing that the data is being collected and repurposed in a way not originally anticipated, with all the privacy concerns therein.
It's only a matter of time, it seems to me, that some site operator gets a warrant for data to be used against a pilot, just as cellphone location data has become a tool in some cases. What are the safeguards for this data that we give up when we flip that toggle switch? Or, is there an option on any of these sites that might allow a current flight to be tracked, and then the data not saved? That's a feature I think would give us more options.
Like I said, I'm not a tin-foil hat guy, but data is data, and too much data can be dangerous.
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