It's perfectly normal to wonder where people are and what they're doing, whether it's a wistful thought about a friend travelling far from home, or a surge of panic when a partner is two hours late. Thanks to GPS technology, their locations need not be a mystery, but the apps that enable us to track the movements of our nearest and dearest can open a Pandora's box of paranoia and mistrust.
They can also be very useful. One popular app, Life360, has the slogan "live free, together" and contains various tools for planning logistics for a busy family, but this summer has seen a number of disgruntled teenagers publicly expressing their resentment at parental control by offering online tips on how to bypass its tracking software. One such video shows a girl demonstrating how she switches Life360 from tracking her phone to tracking her laptop, then leaving her laptop at home and sneaking out. "You're welcome – for saving your social life," she says.
Can we now be anonymous but still use technology?
It turns out that adults, both younger and older, value the freedom to move about without being monitored. “In urban areas you can go for a walk and be seen by thousands of people while being relatively anonymous,” says David Ryan Polgar, an expert on the ethics of technology. “But if your GPS data is being monitored, it’s as if you, as an individual, can’t be who you want to be.”
Now we can know exactly where our partners are going and what they're doing. That knowledge is something we might desire, but it can have negative trade-offs.
The incorporation of GPS chips into smartphones gave birth to a wealth of location-aware apps that rushed to answer two burning questions: "Where am I?" and "Where are you?". Google Latitude was one of the first to display locations of friends and family on a map in 2009, and after a number of rebrandings, it was incorporated into Google Maps, where it still sits. Apple launched a similar service, Find My Friends, in 2011, and it's now installed automatically as part of the iOS system software. But while technology gave us the ability to see people's locations, it gave no help with managing the effect it might have on personal relationships.
GPS tracking: peace of mind or amplifying our worries?
Anyone who’s been seduced by the “peace of mind” these apps promise will have had concerns they could never have foreseen. Can the virtuous act of looking after your loved ones become an obsessive monitoring of behaviour? Can an app that’s supposed to solve logistical problems actually amplify our worries? While someone might be happy to let you know where they are on one particular day, the granting and withdrawing of that privilege can play havoc with human feelings, a fact that’s been largely overlooked by the developers of these apps.
"Technologists see themselves as the creators of amazing things, but they're less clear on responsibilities," says Polgar. "If they create a hammer and somebody uses that hammer to build a house, that's fine – but what if they use it to hit somebody over the head?"
'Now we can know exactly where our partners are going and what they’re doing'
As our less honourable, more obsessive uses of location-tracking apps became apparent, they began to sell themselves slightly differently. One, called Couple Tracker, doesn't mention "peace of mind", but describes itself as the "best affair and cheating prevention mobile app for partners".
Incredibly, GPS – a US military invention – now provides information for married couples to argue about. “There’s that old saying that ignorance is bliss,” says Polgar. “But now we can know exactly where our partners are going and what they’re doing. That knowledge is something we might desire, but it can have negative trade-offs.” A rise in anxiety is one of those, while US lawyers have also reported the growing significance of tracking software in divorce cases – and not just with attempts to assert control of a relationship, but also for gathering evidence. In other words, spying.
On a consumer level, there needs to be a greater technical ability for us to know that we're being tracked and how we're being tracked.
Some apps are brazen about their true purpose. FlexiSpy, mSpy and TheTruthSpy are all designed to reveal personal details (not just location, but phone calls, messages and other data) without that person knowing. In mid-July, Google removed seven such apps (with names such as SMS Tracker, Phone Cell Tracker and Spy Tracker) from its Google Play store after finding that they surreptitiously send personal data to third parties. Crucially, these apps are rarely used with consent; they're usually installed by a snooping partner, acquaintance or family member on the target's phone when they're not looking – and worryingly, this isn't niche behaviour. A 2015 study by the Pew Research Centre found that four per cent of teenagers had installed a location-tracking app on a partner's phone without permission, and a more recent report by the University Of Toronto entitled The Predator In Your Pocket makes very clear the risks of doing so. "These products are well known for their potential to facilitate violence and abuse," it reads, "and there is a documented history of them facilitating such harms."
Find My Friends works quietly in the background, but it can still be used nefariously
But even if the world were rid of this murkier strain of spy software, perfectly legitimate software can still be used for abusive purposes, with Apple’s Find My Friends being a prime example; it works quietly in the background, sending your location to anyone who’s been granted permission (by whatever means) without ever reminding you that your location is being shared.
"On a consumer level, there needs to be a greater technical ability for us to know that we're being tracked and how we're being tracked," says Polgar. "There also needs to be a better structure surrounding law enforcement. If you realise that somebody is tracking you, what's your level of recourse?"
As is often the case with the ethics of technology, it’s hard to know whether the intrusive use of tracking apps is technology’s fault for enabling it, or our fault for embracing it. According to Polgar, our decision to use these apps has been something of a Faustian bargain. “A lot of the discussion that’s going to happen over the next couple of years will be around individual autonomy,” he says. “If we feel like we’re being watched, it offends our idea of what it means to be free. That’s the great irony of the digital age: it has caused us to reflect more on what it means to be human.”
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Kill%20
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Overall standings
1. Christopher Froome (GBR/Sky) 68hr 18min 36sec,
2. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) at 0:18.
3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:23.
4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:29.
5. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 1:17.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ferrari
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs