OK, I realize that this must sound really scary. But the reality is that the authorities will use this sort of technology to track ‘clusters of people’ and not individuals. Well, hopefully this proves to be true 3 years down the road…

Some U.S. states prohibit drivers from talking on hand-held cellphones lest they become distracted, slow down traffic or, worse, cause an accident. Others are finding that cellphones and driving might not make such a bad mix.

Several state transportation agencies, including those in Maryland and Virginia, are beginning to test technology that allows them to monitor traffic by tracking cellphone signals and mapping them against road grids. The technology highlights how readily cellphones can become tracking devices for companies or government agencies - a development that troubles privacy advocates. [Read the rest]

[tags]traffic reports,hand-held cellphones,state transportation agencies[/tags]