GPS Tracking from Work?

[Garbs]

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

^ Really? my iphone is pretty damn ack u rat. I can be in a building and it know what side of the building I am on.

Thats just good programming in most cases

Like for car GPS software they snap the position to the road in a lot of cases. And its easy enough to figure out what direction your going so it wont snap you to the wrong road.

5 m accuracy is atainable but i wouldnt really picture it as a reliable solution...

[taco.vidal]

^^ my blackberry bold is pretty accurate as well. using it with google maps and the sattelite view option, it will show me what part of my house Im in.

[iggypop]

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

ack u rat

[mykalberta]

I know with us, they instituded a policy where the Bb arent able to accept calls if they are going over 10kph. Its some safety policy standard they got from Encana.

With us, I know they dont track users based on GPS location, I think its there more for safety or theft prevention.

And no, the company doesnt need to tell you what the device is setup with or instaled. Bb is similar to a computer. They own the property and can do what they like with it.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I know with us, they instituded a policy where the Bb arent able to accept calls if they are going over 10kph. Its some safety policy standard they got from Encana.

With us, I know they dont track users based on GPS location, I think its there more for safety or theft prevention.

And no, the company doesnt need to tell you what the device is setup with or instaled. Bb is similar to a computer. They own the property and can do what they like with it.

That's pretty cool.

And while they don't need to tell you what they installed and set up, if they are expecting you to leave the phone on to service customers after hours on your own time, I think there may be some privacy implications there.

On your own time, I don't think it is fair for them to be able to "track" you, especially since the only reason they would be able to do so was because they had requested/required you leave the phone on for another purpose. It seems somewhat 1984-ish.

[FlamesKickAss]

Originally Posted by iggypop

from a old nhl 2k (i think) commercial where a guy is trash talking roenick (i think it was) cant find it on you tube though

[I_H8_Crawford]

Looks like I may have found what I was looking for - http://www.privcom.gc.ca/cf-dc/2006/351_20061109_e.asp

It IS a violation of privacy if the company doesn't let the affected parties know beforehand.

[old-fart]

Just to be clear... they aren't tracking you, they are tracking their asset, which they own. At my work we GPS track all the trucks. We know where they are parked, what time they are started, where they go, what time they are turned off, etc. They are our trucks, and we are entitled to track where they go.

If you don't want to be tracked off hours, don't take your phone with you when you go out. I'm sure it has v/m, have your customers leave you a message and then check it when you feel like it.

If you really don't like the company's policies, you have options.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by old-fart

Just to be clear... they aren't tracking you, they are tracking their asset, which they own. At my work we GPS track all the trucks. We know where they are parked, what time they are started, where they go, what time they are turned off, etc. They are our trucks, and we are entitled to track where they go.

If you don't want to be tracked off hours, don't take your phone with you when you go out. I'm sure it has v/m, have your customers leave you a message and then check it when you feel like it.

If you really don't like the company's policies, you have options.

That's a really crappy line of reasoning.

As said in the OP

The reason they aren't telling us is because they know we keep our phones on off hours for work, and don't want us to shut them off after our 8hrs is done each day.

The issue isn't being able to be tracked during work. The issue is being tracked off hours.

And to say that if he doesn't like being tracked off hours, he can quit is a pretty crappy couple of alternatives. Especially when the Privacy Commissioner states in the link provided:

# We informed the company that we were troubled by the potential to evaluate the performance of an individual based on inferences drawn from GPS data. We believed that using GPS for such purposes is no longer so much about tracking the location of company vehicles as it is about measuring the performance of an individual based on assumptions made from GPS data. In our view, such a use would shift the balance significantly towards the “loss of privacy” end of the spectrum.
# While using GPS to track a vehicle is not overly privacy invasive, routinely evaluating worker performance based on assumptions draw from GPS information impinges on individual privacy.

And as to whether the company needs to tell them that it is collecting GPS data:

# But GPS is collecting the personal information of all vehicle drivers – not just the one thought to be breaching some agreement or contravening a law. Given the nature of the technology and the fact that it is installed on all vehicles, reliance on subsection 7(1) is inappropriate.
# Similarly, if the personal information was not collected for any of the purposes outlined in subsection 7(1), it cannot be used without knowledge or consent for any of the purposes provided under subsection 7(2).
# Therefore, the company was obliged to obtain employee consent.

So I_H8_Crawford does have an argument under PIPEDA, and it doesn't involve being forced to quit if he doesn't like it.

[old-fart]

My original post came off way to bitchy.. apologies.

In any event, wether he has an actual complaint under PIPEDA or not, I still say it is the company's asset and they should be allowed to know where that asset is and what it is being used for at all times. If his work doesn't require him to have his cell phone on after hours, he can turn it off and leave it at home. I understand he said it is for the convenience of his customers, but again if his work doesn't actually require it, I wouldn't be doing it if I was concerned about "Big Brother" tracking my movements.

[FurnaceFace]

I would think they'd have to disclose this or have some sort of wording in the document you had to sign. If not, I would further assume they could not dismiss you or would have a hard time dismissing you by any form of tracking they did.

The disable if going over 10 kph feature is fantastic. I wish all phones had this as mandatory.