Social Networking Can Be Dangerous
Technology Used for Nefarious Purposes
Children and Teens are Most Vulnerable
Source acquired via BC Local News, May 5, 2010, British Columbia, Canada – Last week, a 54-year-old Vancouver man was arrested on charges of sexual toughing, sexual assault, and sexual interference of a 15-year old. This week, the man in question will face a Vancouver court. The man allegedly contacted the teenage boy through a social networking application, and tracked the boy using a GPS-equipped cell phone.
Recently, 54-year-old Mark G. Woodland of Phoenix, Arizona, was found stabbed and beaten to death on the floor of his apartment. Woodland’s roommate told police that Woodland met a date using a social network application. When the murder was first reported, the application name was divulged. Today, Phoenix police have asked that the application be referred only as “an unknown social network.”
Social Networking’s Dark Side
Regardless of the social network that was used in the Woodland case, the fact remains that social applications are entirely dangerous. Just last year, a girl by the name of Julissa Brisman was murdered by Philip Haynes Markoff – a known user of Craigslist to find people. While there’s no doubt that social networks are playgrounds for predators, cell phone applications that include GPS tracking capabilities make tracking a victim even easier.
Parents who wish to keep tabs on teenagers should forego a GPS-equipped cell phone for a tracking device that does not allow random strangers to track a teen’s location. Personal GPS tracking devices can be attached to a teen’s backpack, car, or other object. The main difference between a personal tracking device and a GPS-equipped cell phone is the fact that only a parent can view tracking information.
Protection of Personal Data
In the case of social networking sites, it’s important that all users protect personal information. When meeting with a person for the first time, it’s a good idea to take a personal tracking device along. This way, police can locate a person in distress right away. Meeting someone in a private place without a personal tracking device can be outright dangerous.
Boston, British Columbia, and Phoenix police are now urging all people to think twice before using social networking applications that offer location-based services. While these applications weren’t invented for stalking purposes, it is far too easy to track someone by using a cell phone application. Police are also urging parents of teens to take note of the social networking applications that teens use, and to make sure that a teen is safe at all times.
Tags: Cell Phones, Craigslist, GPS Tracking, parents, personal tracking device, sexual harassment, social networking, stalking, Technology, teens
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