1. Geographic Aspects of Location Tracking with RFID and GPS Mark Monmonier Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs / Syracuse University

2. Foci of this Presentation Compare and contrast RFID and GPS Compare and contrast RFID and GPS Legal issues Legal issues –Reliability and liability –Lobbying and legislation Privacy issues Privacy issues –Informed consent –Retention period –Control of one’s locational history –Unintended consequences

3. Radio Frequency Identification Advantages Advantages –Inexpensive tags, especially for merchandise Disadvantages Disadvantages –Limited range –Position tied to location of the antenna/reader Technical issues Technical issues –Increase the range? –Support triangulation? –Can movement be channeled through a minimal number of gates?

4. Geographic Issues for RFID Range (effective distance) Range (effective distance) –Positively correlated with cost (and size) –Greater the range, the less dense the network of interrogator stations Tag memory (read/write? store data?) Tag memory (read/write? store data?) –Positively correlated with cost –Tags with ample read/write memory could keep track of where they’ve been –Locational history is possible with read/write tags and an adequate interrogation network

5. Interrogator Network Choke points in the circulation network Choke points in the circulation network –A geographic problem: what’s the network like and where are the choke points? –An optimization issue: trade-offs between cost and coverage Network and optimal chokes depend on: Network and optimal chokes depend on: –Gates (doorways) or movement channels –Pause points in subject’s movement –Predictable routes based on predictable origins and predictable destinations –Plan for less predictable movement?

6. Global Positioning System Military origin Military origin –Real-time weapons-system guidance –A “you-are-here” for electronic battlefield maps Constellation of 24 satellites Constellation of 24 satellites –Satellites transmit an ID-and-time signal –Estimates location and elevation –Time signal blurred under “Selective Availability” –Location Based Services (LBS) industry –European commercial system: Galileo

7. Global Positioning System Disadvantages Disadvantages –Cost and size of receiver –Real-time tracking depends on wireless network –Poor indoor reception because of signal attenuation and multipath-corrupted signals in buildings and “urban canyons” Advantages Advantages –Positional accuracy –The slower the movement, the greater the locational accuracy (useful for geodetic surveying) –Record or transmit a locational history

8. GPS - RFID Hybrids GPS for GPS for –Outdoor movement –Short-term storage of recent locational history RFID for indoor tracking RFID for indoor tracking –Greater control of subject’s movement indoors –Does the location warrant interior detail? –Network density (interrogator stations, range, etc.) can be adjusted to need for surveillance RFID as a supplement to GPS tracking RFID as a supplement to GPS tracking

9. “Pseudolites” Pseudo-satellites Pseudo-satellites –Aircraft at a lower altitude –Stronger signal Military solution to Military solution to –Jamming –Need for greater accuracy and reliability in a war zone Compatible with regional denial of GPS signals—ad hoc “Selective Availability” Compatible with regional denial of GPS signals—ad hoc “Selective Availability”

10. Links to Other Systems Video surveillance Video surveillance –RFID as a trigger Traffic surveillance systems Traffic surveillance systems –RFID to increase the panoptic potential of traffic- count and signal-control systems Real-time Web monitoring Real-time Web monitoring GIS-based ‘no-go’ areas GIS-based ‘no-go’ areas

11. Legal Issues Reliability of highly complex systems Reliability of highly complex systems Consequences of failure Consequences of failure –Litigation –Disclaimers Lobbying and legislation to... Lobbying and legislation to... –Reduce the failure rate (standards, better data) –Externalize costs of system improvement The Wireless E-911 experience: The Wireless E-911 experience: –Repeatedly deferred deadlines

12. Privacy Issues Tracking of vehicles and merchandise Tracking of vehicles and merchandise –Personal privacy? Limits to surveillance of employees? Limits to surveillance of employees? Whose information is it? Whose information is it? –Retention period –Sale of locational histories (anonymized or not) –Why reliable anonymization is problematic ‘Opt in’ or ‘opt out’? ‘Opt in’ or ‘opt out’? –“Do not track” button? –Can the USA PATRIOT Act override it?

13. Unintended Consequences What will people do to defeat a personally invasive system? What will people do to defeat a personally invasive system? Can prosecution for misuse increase public acceptance? Can prosecution for misuse increase public acceptance? Can geo-tracking lead to new, broader definitions of deviancy? Can geo-tracking lead to new, broader definitions of deviancy? The “Geoslavery” argument? The “Geoslavery” argument?