Is Big Brother using GPS Surveillance to track your cell phone?

Smart Phones are rapidly becoming indispensible mobile communication devices with a multitude of benefits.  However, there may be a down-side that would not be considered an attractive selling point!  A recent Time article explains how the benefits of GPS could be turned against us by a government that is keen to know our every move. Before the advent of smart phones, the most accurate way of establishing the whereabouts of the mobile phone was by a method of triangulation.  The device regularly sends signals about where you are according to your proximity to nearby cell-phone towers, so that it is in a state of readiness to make and receive calls. This tells the cell phone company where you are, and this information is stored on a database for an indefinate period.  This data may only be accurate to within around half-a-mile or so, depending on your proximity to different towers. Now, thanks to the GPS chip that is embedded in most smart phones. The data can often reveal your location to within five or ten meters. Law enforcement has found this data extremely useful. Prosecutors are increasingly using cellphone records to show that a suspect was near the scene of a crime, or not where he claimed to be.  The federal government's position is that it should be able to get most of this data if it decides it is relevant to an investigation, with no need for a search warrant.  GPS surveillance provides unparalleled accuracy for these investigations. We have already reported about Police planting GPS tracking locator devices to track suspects, but the ability to track a device that most people own and use is perhaps greater cause for vigilance when it comes to civil liberties. You can read the full Time article here.