Is This the Best Way to Stop Cellphone Theft?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Robert Atkinson <rca53 () columbia edu>
Date: September 16, 2008 4:37:42 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Is This the Best Way to Stop Cellphone Theft?

Dave,

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/someone-stole-your-cell-phone-tell-it-to-phone-home/?scp=1&sq=Stolen%20Cell%20phone&st=cse

This article describes software that allows you to track and listen in  
on your cellphone if its stolen. You can also trigger a siren on the  
stolen phone and negotiate for its return.  All well and good, but the  
manufacturer suggests that you can put it on your kids’ cellphones and  
track them (and presumably listen in on their conversations). It ends  
with the challenge: “I’m sure users will come up with many more  
mischievous uses.”  If this become widespread, cellphone thefts may go  
down but at the cost of loss of privacy and trust. I suppose the  
message is never except a “gift” cellphone from anyone, including your  
parents.  How about “corporate” phones from an employer? Government  
phones?  Are we better off with this?

Excerpts:

“The Maverick software is hidden on a phone, so a potential thief  
can’t tell whether or not your phone has it. You give the company a  
second phone number — your spouse’s or a friend’s, for example. As  
soon as a thief replaces your SIM card with his own, the phone  
encrypts all of your remaining data, like your phone book, photos or  
text messages, so the thief can’t see them. It also sends that data to  
your second phone so that you have it.”

“The company suggests that its new anti-theft application could also  
be used by parents who want to track their kids. With its  
eavesdropping and siren-playing capabilities, I’m sure users will come  
up with many more mischievous uses.”

Bob

--
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Robert C. Atkinson
Director of Policy Research
Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI)
http://www.citi.columbia.edu

office: 212-854-7576
mobile: 908-447-4201

E-mail: rca53 () columbia edu
alt: bob () robertcatkinson com






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