Holstebro Tekniske Gymnasium
Words: 1188.
English B 2007/2009
Essay
The power to follow your every move
IS
2D
Michael Sloth Trabjerg
The power to follow your every move
A. Summary
The text “The power to follow your every move” is written by Duncan Graham-Rowe and has been
published in New Scientist the 16th of July 2005. The text is about the Global Pointing System and
the new Galileo system. A new GPS system called Galileo is about to become operative in 2008.
This is a European alternative to the GPS system which is in use now. The new system consists of
30 satellites opposed to the old 24. The new system is more reliable, powerful and accurate than the
old system. However, one of the most important differences between the old and the new system is
that the new system will be an entirely commercial enterprise where the old system was owned by
the state. This means that the companies can make more money. For instance, a company is
planning to start an as-you-go-car insurance, while other companies focus more on security.
However, the main application is that of transport. The system is not to be used to spy on each
other, the supporters argue. The critics argue that it bring thoughts to Big Brother-like conditions.
Supporters respond by pointing out that if you don’t carry a receiver you will be invisible. Other
suggested uses have been along these lines, for instance, monitoring paedophiles, so that they can’t
enter a playground. (221 words)
B. Commentary
“The ability to track objects and people brings all kinds of applications to mind, but it also
creates concerns about privacy and civil liberties “There have been suggestions that Galileo
will be like Big Brother,” says Alistar Scott of satellite manufacturer EADS Astrium.”
(“The power to follow your every move”, 5th colum, line 19 – 6th column, line 6)
I think that the main point of this quote is to bring fear of the technology by mentioning Big
Brother, which has become a bad word for anything that even smells like a surveillance system.
However, if we have to determine the truth of this claim, then we first have to examine what Big
Brother is and then we can determine if the Galileo system is like Big Brother or not.
Big Brother is a surveillance system and it has a phrase which says: “Big Brother is watching you”
and in a Big Brother “society” the people are under constant surveillance. Whether they want to be
or not is not important because the state or government just do it.
Udleveret: 15-08-08
Afleveres: 03-10-08
Side 1 af 3
Holstebro Tekniske Gymnasium
Words: 1188.
English B 2007/2009
Essay
The power to follow your every move
IS
2D
Michael Sloth Trabjerg
So is Galileo like Big Brother or not? And does the ability to track objects and therefore people,
qualify to be called a Big Brother system? Well, I think that we can determine that Galileo isn’t a
surveillance system like Big Brother because the Galileo system is not watching you, only if you
are carrying a receiver. The Big Brother system doesn’t ask people if they want to be under
surveillance or not. So there is a big difference between the Galileo system and Big Brother.
However, I don’t think that the Galileo system will destroy the privacy and civil liberties as it looks
right now because as it is mentioned in this essay and in the article: you have to carry a receiver
otherwise they can’t track you. But maybe the Galileo system will be a threat someday if the
government decides to use it as a surveillance system because it can for sure be developed so it can
be used like a surveillance system. (285 words)
C. Discussion
Discuss what you see as the most important aspects of the GPS technology. Give your
arguments (min. 300 words).
When we talk about technology some people will be optimistic about the technology and some
people will be pessimistic. The optimists will say that the technology is very useful and that we can
use the technology to do for example all the boring things. The pessimists will point out all the
negative effects of the technology. We can say that the optimists are internalists and that the
pessimists are externalists. However, we can’t determine if the optimists or the pessimists win
because it is impossible to decide with certainty if technology has been helpful or unhelpful. It
would require us to create a database of all current and all previous uses of technology and then
decide whether or not the technology was helpful.
However, there are both arguments for and against the GPS technology because as all other
technologies the GPS system can be used in good and bad ways.
One of the advantages is that it is a lot easier to drive because you don’t have to look at a map the
entire time. Just listen to the GPS system, but you have to be attentive because some GPS systems
are not completely exact or up to date. An example could be that you are driving and that the GPS is
saying that you shall turn left but the GPS is first telling it 30meters after the place. Another
problem could be that it maybe doesn’t know all the small roads in the country. It’s also a problem
that the GPS system loses the signal when you are driving in the mountain or under the ground.
Udleveret: 15-08-08
Afleveres: 03-10-08
Side 2 af 3
Holstebro Tekniske Gymnasium
Words: 1188.
English B 2007/2009
Essay
The power to follow your every move
IS
2D
Michael Sloth Trabjerg
Another advantage could be that we in the future place a receiver on the paedophiles so that they
can’t come near children because they are under surveillance. However, then will some people
maybe say that it’s immoral because then we are taking the paedophile’s liberty and privacy away.
However, that is a question about moral if you think it’s an advantage or not. Another advantage
could be that we can prevent that people’s cars get stolen because then the car factories could place
a receiver on the cars when they were produced. This would help the police when they had to find a
stolen car.
This was some of the advantages, now I’ll give some examples of the disadvantages.
One of the disadvantages could be that the government in the future would make a law which says
that when a person is born then the person has to get a receiver placed at his/her body. This would
result in a Big Brother society where we were under surveillance all the time. I think that this would
be a big problem because then the government could watch us all the time. So, then we wouldn’t
have any liberty or privacy and I’m a champion for the phrase: “Liberty with responsibility”.
Another disadvantage could be that with the GPS system in the future we could control all the
machines over distances with special software. Then maybe if the software broke down or got
infiltrated by a virus or hacked then we maybe couldn’t control our machines at the factories etc.
which would be a disaster.
I think that the GPS system is very useful because we have used it a lot when we have been on
vacation in foreign countries or in Copenhagen and places like that. For example it’s very difficult
to drive in the big cities in Germany, Italy etc. without a GPS if you don’t do it often. The GPS
system is also very useful when you are driving on a highway. Also if you are on vacation in a
country where you don’t speak their native language and they don’t speak English. Then it’s a big
advantage to have a GPS.
I’m sure that we will see more to the GPS and Galileo system in the future because I think there are
many opportunities in this area. The scientists are getting more knowledge all the time so I’m sure
of that they will develop the GPS- and Galileo system more than it’s now (682 words).
Udleveret: 15-08-08
Afleveres: 03-10-08
Side 3 af 3