Public safety or ‘big brother’ watching: College mandates GPS cell phone tracking

By Christine Anne Piesyk | November 27, 2007 |

While America Sleeps … a new, intrusive plan is underfoot, and may be coming to a college near you.

Should cell phone ownership a requirement for college attendance? In the case of New Jersey’s Montclair State University, every student will now be required to have a cell phone — not just any cellphone — but one with GPS technology that enables emergency locating of any student on campus — and it all in the interest of “public safety.” The cost, however, is to be borne by the students to the tune of a $420 annual fee for the Sprint-operated cell phone, a cost bundled into the students’ tuition bill. It’s the first such student-bears-the-cost program in the country.

What do students get for their money? According to a report published by CBS 2 HD today, the Montclair University plan offers “50 peak minutes a month, unlimited text messaging to any carrier, unlimited campus-based data usage, and student activated emergency tracking.” That implies students may use the system in case of emergency, yet the CBS report also referenced a comment, ostensibly supporting this intrusive program as a matter of safety, by Montclair Police Chief Paul Cell:

“What it does is allow students to have an extra pair or group of people watching over them when they are going from one location to another.”

To me, that’s the crux of the problem: not just the mandatory cost, but the eyes of big brother. «Read the rest of this article»

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