New Tracking Mobile Phone Causes Controversy

KDDI, one of the biggest telecommunications firms in Japan, has announced the development of a new phone that also acts as a tracking device and can inform a central hub of the movements of anyone using it.

This clever phone even analyses the movements that it is making to determine the action that the person carrying it is undertaking. This means it can tell when someone is going upstairs or downstairs, when they are sitting and when they are walking.

The new development will be seen by some industries as a major advantage as companies in certain sectors need to know the whereabouts of their personnel at all times. One of the industries mentioned KDDI on the release of the phone was the medical industry. Determining the whereabouts of medical professionals when they are on call is of utmost importance, they argue, but they also concede that the phone’s capabilities could be open to abuse.

Some companies could seek to use the phone as a piece of surveillance equipment, keeping tabs on employees all the time and possibly infringing on their rights. It is likely there would have to be some form of agreement between bosses and staff before equipment like this could be used professionally.

Questions might also be raised about who is able to track the phone remotely and therefore determine where you are at all times.

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