Can GPS tracking technology prevent a swine flu pandemic? Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications hopes to find out this autumn by testing a mobile phone-based GPS tracking system that constantly monitors each individual's location and sends text alerts to participants if they cross paths with anyone who is later identified as a flu victim.
The proposed system relies on mobile phone providers to constantly track the subjects' geographical locations and keep chronological records of their movements in a database. When a person is labeled as "infected," all the past location data in the database is analyzed to determine whether or not anyone came within close proximity to the infected individual.
The system will know, for example, whether or not you once boarded the same train or sat in the same movie theater as the infected individual, and it will send you a text message containing the details of the close encounter. The text messages will also provide instructions on specific measures to take in response.
The primary purpose of the test, which will involve about 2,000 volunteers in both urban and rural areas, is to verify the precision of GPS tracking technology, estimate the potential costs of operating such a system, and determine whether or not such a system can be put into practical use.
To be of any real use in a place like Tokyo, a phone-based disease-tracking system would require the participation of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of subscribers willing to have their locations tracked -- not a stretch given the popularity of wireless services such as NTT DoCoMo's "iConcier," which provides personalized, concierge-like services to individual mobile phones based on location data, shopping history, and other personal information.
From a privacy standpoint, opinions differ on the degree to which sensitive personal data such as location and travel history should be shared and used. With this in mind, the ministry will also explore the issue of psychological resistance to the use of personal information.
[Source: Asahi]
robot makes music
Considering how recently Japan went from imperialist-fascist to peace-loving society, and considering how patriarchal and conformist they still are, I could totally see this tracking technology easily mis-used.
I mean, you read about what went on in Nanking China or Korea during Dub-Dub-Deuce, you'll be wondering why China didn't ask us to nuke them a third and maybe fourth time. (not that I agree that we should have dropped the first two like that - putting one into the ocean near Tokyo and flooding the city with near-boiling water from the blastwave, and then saying "directly onto the city next" would have had them bent over the treaty table that day, and saved a few hundred thousand lives of uninvolved civilians)
[]Kat
Afraid Japan is going to unleash a vicious mob of keitai-wielding zombie imperialists on your country? Sure there is potential for misuse, but probably not the type you fear. The ones who should be the most concerned are mobile phone owners in Japan who don't want a government computer following their every move.
Keep your silly war strategies where they belong.
[]It's a Secret
1984 much?
[]ziggy pop
Only a fool would sign up for this.
The costs far outweigh the benefits. So what if a swiner gets on the same train as me. Am sure coughing up my lungs and feeling a bit 'unwell' will tell me that!
[]Morfnblorsh
Sorry, but being able to track my every move with the reason "Oh, it could keep communicable diseases under better control!" isn't enough. I call bullshit.
It's true that you can catch diseases from interaction with other humans, but that doesn't mean it's just from being in place X at the same time as citizen Y. You could contract it just from touching money, or a door handle, or by breathing ANYWHERE. Hell, you could order something online and get it from the person that packed the box once you open it.
Their tracking system doesn't cover nearly enough variables for this to be a necessary and honest system. I think it's another way of trying to sneak "Big Brother" into the Japanese society.
[]mur
The bible's coming true -- we're getting stamped with serial numbers.
[]Truth
It's not coming true because its still a book of fairy tales.
[]D
You would be crazy to believe this is done to help prevent a pandemic.."they" implent these things with letting us believe its all for the better of everyone,but its obvious "they" try Anything in "their" power to have COMPLETE control and knowledge over the people.
[]virus hacked u
I agree with Morf of the whole "Big Brother" thing.
[]It's already happening here in the states of Big Brother is being affective. Part of the elite agenda to control everyone in the world. RFID's are part of the Healthcare bill
virus hacked u
Mur---they're not serial numbers, more like Radio Frequency Identification Cards.
[]domaine
imagine the tech in the hands of the fbi or cia. or worse yet in the hands of local law officals. get pulled over and they can cheack everywhere you been. you get suspected of a crime? they can cheack and see where you been as evidense of your guilt. they could see who was with you and convict them as well. or imagine a wife who cacthes her husband cheating on her cause she tracked down his phone. or every time you go in a store you get a text message telling you about some stupid sale that store is having or their competators is having.
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