Link: SourceWire | Press Releases - Mobile Phone Tracking proving popular with British mums
Safety-conscious parents are buying mobile phones for children as young as FOUR, it was revealed in a new survey carried out by MobileLocators.com.
Fears about child abduction have left British mums and dads desperate to keep tabs on their youngsters – and as a result, nearly two thirds have invested in a mobile phone for their offspring.
But many parents are taking security a stage further – by turning to the very latest satellite spy technology to ensure the safety of their kids “on a day-to-day basisâ€.
The controversial ‘Big Brother’ technology is a new method of tracing mobiles – and kids – wherever they are.
Hundreds of mums and dads have already registered their children’s mobile phone numbers with the website http://www.mobilelocators.com to pinpoint the user’s exact location.
And of the 2,100 people polled – two thirds said they would be happy to invest in the new software, no matter how intrusive.
I think if I was a parent, I’d be doing this. Half of me reckons I would be totally relaxed along the lines of ‘hey, you need to let your children grow up themselves’ — the other half of me would be obsessively monitoring them to check they’re ok. Could get a bit much though, that.
Still, I like the peace of mind it affords parents.
Now, as for Mobilelocators.com — great concept — but I’d like to see it with the following updates:
- Remove all the google ads — makes it the site look cheap and fly-by-night
- Drop the Ordnance Survey maps and put on Google. Everyone likes Google Maps, particularly the consumers that they’re targeting
- Completely redesign the site and make it beautiful and easy to use — normob consumers aren’t going to react too well to it.
- When I click sign-up, I expect to stay with Mobilelocators, not to be redirected to verilocation.
- I got confused when I clicked on Traceamobile — that appears to be the family/consumer version of the site.
Mobilelocators (or, er, the Traceamobile service) are charging five pounds per month, to track up to five handsets — and it includes up to 120 lookups per year (or, if my maths works, 10 lookups per month, or 2 per handset). Extra lookups start at 35p each — buy a lot and you can get them for 20p each.
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Whatleydude on 
Comment by Ben Smith on 28 January 2008:
A contact number that charges £1 per minute for sales enquiries with out warning on their homepage isn’t helping with that trust-worthy image either…
Comment by Mike on 28 January 2008:
The fear-mongering behind this is right out of the Daily Mail, the Sun and Telegraph.
Firstly, the risk: Children are no more likely to be abducted now than they ever were. This is born out the world over.
Secondly, the trust: what does this tell your child about how much you trust them?
Thirdly, the reality: this wil not stop an abduction. “tol ensure the safety of…” - Aaarggh! a cellphone does not ensure bugger all. It can’t even ‘ensure’ seamless coverage, data or voice connection. Are you going to sue your MNO if your child is abducted and the system fails to report it because of a database error, lost connection, billing error suspending the account, etc?
If you wanted to nab a child, the first thing you’d do is bin their mobile. And as for untrusting parents wondering if their darling is off with that unapproved-of love interest, guess what? kids swap phones. Or there’s an off button. Or tinfoil. Most children are abducted by parents or relatives who they trust. A few headline cases a year of genuine stranger-abductions (that sell a lot of copy and make a lot of money for media barons and mobile tracking start-ups) does not an abduction pandemic make.
We didn’t have or need this when we were growing up. Parents who use this need to take a long, hard look at themselves and ask what sort of child they are raising. A dumb animal to be tracked like a dog and punished for straying, or a resourceful, savvy individual who is trusted to do the right thing.
Your child has a mobile. OK, that’s handy. Give them a bloody phone call if you need to know what time they will be home. Arguably, giving them a mobile makes them even *more* likely to be somewhere they shouldn’t, as they can easily fake being somewhere they aren’t by conference calling their friends in at home. Mum rings Mandy’s to ask to speak to darling Sarah. Mandy says ‘hang on’, dials Sarah in the back seat of her boyfriend’s car, patches her in and presto - Sarah appears to be at Mandy’s.
If you don’t trust yourt child to be out without a GPS tag or mobile trace running, then maybe they shouldn’t be out at all.
Or is abdication of parental responsability through technology the new black?
Anyone who seriously buys into this need their head read. And the people running it are making money based on unfounded, illogical fear and ill-feeling between parents and children. Shame on them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4922470.stm
Grrr….
Comment by Ewan on 28 January 2008:
But where are your children right now, Mike?
And are they all fitted out with top of the range N95s?
Comment by mike on 28 January 2008:
Well, the six year old is either at school, with mum or Errr….riding her bike around the cul de sac. I feel absolutely no desire to track her. When she’s 15 I’ll trust her, support her and be there if/when she needs picking up.
Yes, she could have any mobile she liked (she’s a huge iPhone fan). But no. Maybe in 5 years. I like the idea of her sharing ideas, images and videos with family and friends. But trust is an issue - cost control, internet access control and spam bluetooth/sms. No tracking!