Privacy advocates are being overrun by high tech advances and marketing campaigns for Real Time Vehicle Tracking Systems, and Real Time GPS Vehicle Tracking.

The most common systems in the public eye are LoJack, and OnStar, and they are now considered mainstream.  In fact, they are marketed as safety equipment by their manufacturers. 

LoJack

Commonly misspelled as “LowJack”, this is a passive and un-intrusive vehicle theft recovery system operated directly by law enforcement.  A device is well hidden somewhere on your automobile in one of twenty undisclosed places.   Each LoJack system has a unique code that is tied to your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). 

For the system to be activated, the theft of the vehicle must first be noticed, and reported.  When report is made to the police, a routine entry into the state’s police crime computer matches the LoJack System's unique code against the state VIN database.  This activates the signal that leads police to the Vehicle Recovery System, which is generally still attached to the stolen vehicle.

LoJack is reputed to save substantial amounts on comprehensive insurance premiums. For more information, check with your insurance agent.

Over seven million LoJack devices have been installed world-wide.  Ninety percent stolen vehicle recovery statistics are impressive.  Billions of dollars worth of equipment are protected. 

OnStar

All GM automobiles have OnStar installed.  This service was launched in 1996 using analog cellular technology.  As of January 1, 2008, its services are available only on vehicles capable of operating on the digital cellular network.  This has put out a lot of early customers. 

Advertised as having the broadest geographic coverage of the available cellular network alternatives at the time, it was supposedly the only cellular service working in New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. 

According to complaints filed on consumer watchdog web sites, OnStar does not work if there is no satellite; it's a cloudy day, if the car is in a tunnel, if the sensor didn't go off, if the sensor is cut, and numerous other issues. Customers complain, ‘if a cell phone works, OnStar should work.’

OnStar salespeople have used the hurricane Katrina disaster example above to illustrate that one of the advantages to using the service was that OnStar works in situations when cell phones fail.

Privacy advocates point out that a microphone is installed in your vehicle, and that you can’t be sure it is ever deactivated.  Does that sound good to you?  What do you discuss in your vehicle that you consider private?

Aside from these services and security devices, Real Time GPS Vehicle Tracking by private investigators to conduct surveillance of subjects is common.  Real Time Vehicle Tracking Systems are commercially available, if pricey, but difficult to install covertly. 

California Penal Code 637.7 restricts the covert use of GPS devices and other “electronic device to determine a persons’ location”.