As many of you already know, the Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) has a number of major benefits. It can be of huge assistance to those navigating in unfamiliar territory. But some people consider it to be an invasion of privacy. GPS security and privacy, has been widely discussed and many adults believe that the pros out weigh the cons.

GPS tracking devices can provide monitoring data on a vehicle such as total miles driven, speeds that it was driven, traveled routes, as well as its current location. The sophistication and quantity of available monitored data varies depending upon the system and the make and model of the GPS device and vehicle of installation.

In some cases people believe that this is an invasion of their personal privacy. For example, when renting a car, most of us ignore the fine print at the bottom of our contracts saying that we will pay extra for wear and tear on the vehicle if we go over 79 miles per hour. The car rental company will know when and how many times we have done this, and charge our credit card the additional 'wear and tear' fee based on information obtained by their GPS vehicle tracking devices.

Many parents tend to feel that concerns about GPS security and privacy are no comparison to knowing where their child is, so they can ensure the child's safety. Some parents actually use these devices to keep track of their children's activities. And if the child breaks the rules the parents will revoke their driving or socializing privileges.

The benefit of GPS is that people who possess cell phones with this technology no longer need to buy expensive equipment to monitor a loved one. Many wireless companies provide this service; however, most do not provide users with a direct feed to GPS data. Therefore, the assistance of the cellular company is necessary to accurately pinpoint a person's location with the data, which is transmitted only in the event of a dialed 911 emergency call.

GPS security and privacy comes in to play again with cell phones. Not all people are aware that they can be tracked with their cell phones. This can also help the police conduct business, making their jobs much easier. Authorities are able to locate both criminals and victims, as well as stolen vehicles. Every year there are new and improved models of these tracking devices, with new features and updates. These tracking systems can provide safety and help to protect us and our loved ones. The information they provide also has the potential to be abused.