Question about Family Locator

[xPyrox]

Hey,

I'm thinkin about getting Family Locator for my daughter... but to be honest I don't want her to know I have the ability to see where she's at. So my question is, when I'm checking her location would she be notified? I know she could see the installed app, but other than that how would she be able to tell?

Before anyone says this is a horrible idea and I should let her know - raise a teenage daugther.

[bosslady85]

She will not receive a message that her device is being tracked.  I would recommend you check to make sure that the location on feature is set to on.  If it is off, you will not be able to track the device.

[xPyrox]

Thank you!

[Ana2081]

I understand your point of view, as I have a similar senerio.

When researching the Locator feature, I contacted tech support.I was advised that my son is notified that a family member is trying to locate him. He will be able to see this notification IF he is using the phone at that time. The Locatee will also be able to deny the location request. Not sure why Verizon would make this an option to a child. Furthermore, Teens are techno savy and once your teen has figured out how shut off the location setting on their phone you are blind to their whereabouts until they turn it back on.

[jrkins]

I have the family locator and although it does not send a message it does indicate the phone is being located by lighting up and a wheel thing spinning around for about 5 seconds.  If your daughter is looking at the phone at the time she will see this indicator.  My daughter noticed it right away.  I ended up telling her it was there.  She hates it and turned it off once.  I grounded her and told her to leave it on or I would take the phone away and ground her.  I don't blame you at all.  It is a parenting tool and these days we need everything we can get.  Good luck...stand your ground you are the parent.

[LeonardM]

jrkins correctly describes how the Family Locator Member aplication indicates to a Family Member that they are being located.

The parent has the choice in the Family Locator Profile (accessed on http://familylocator.vzw.com on a PC) which can be accessed below the name of any of the family members on the account.

Within the profile select, always ask, or always allow. This way a child can be located without conscent. And with a spouse, you can provide them more adult decesions to decide if they can be located at that time. So the two settings are provided.

Location can be used for children as part of a complete parenting relationship, and, is not meant as an undefeatable system.

However privacy concerns for other non-child family members must also be taken into account in the design of default settings, so that spouces cannot track one another without the other knowing.

[IaminFL]

I read on another forum, and saw on my own kids' phone tonight, that they ARE notified.  They can even turn it off!  What is the point of that??  If I am incorrect, please let me know because the kids of course will just turn it off if they want to.  So, how will I know if they are in an area that can't be located OR if they are just turning off the feature?

I think parents who buy kids' phones who are under 18 should be able to use this feature without the child knowing it.  If they are over 18, that is a different story.

Verizon really needs to change this.  Please let me know if I am incorrect.  I believe this Verizon rep is incorrect.

[LeonardM]

@FL

Please  look into Verizon Family Locator's most popular feature, the behaviorally based Arrival and Departure Update.

You Set up an Arrival & Departure Update which automatically provides a text message, email and log file of when your child enters or leaves a location.

Say they let themselves into their home after school, you will know when that occurs, and there is no notice given to the child that this is occuring, it is automatic.

What is critical is parent-child communication, and using safeguards like content filters, usage controls, call & message blocking, and family locator can assist some parenting efforts amongst many other tools. Here is a review of these tools: http://parentalcontrolcenter.com/the-tech-herald-reviews-family-locator-and-usage-controls/comment-p...

[Cochango]

This service is worthless.  Per VZW technical people Fed law states there is no way to confirm the locatee is a minor so privacy laws require the warning screen to pop up.  Great my 14yo saw this within two minutes and blew the plan right out of the water.  If your thought was like mine to assure my son is where he says he is and the locator service confirms the facts - forget it.

[stickman]

And exactly what federal law is that? 

It is not the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that consumers use products correctly and within  the laws.  It is not the responsiblity of Verizon or any other communications company to ensure that consumers use products correctly and within  the laws.  This is the United States of America wherein the Constitution gives us, the People, the right to be LEFT ALONE by the government and anyone else we choose.  They have NO RIGHT to assume that we, the People, are going to do something illegal untill there is evidence of said activity.  Verizon needs to think about that and change this "policy" which I am sure they are only doing in an effort to appear "politically correct."

I'm also not comfortable with Verizon's "story" about how spouses could us this as a tool to stalk their significant other and bring bodily harm to them or some other atrocity.  When Verizon does this, it SCREAMS of begging to be patted on the back. The women's shelters that I have knowledge of, are given free cell phones to give to women in case of emergencies and the women are instructed to NOT use their personal cell phone if they feel they are in danger or need to leave their aggressor.  Additionally, these same organizations are smart enough to keep up with the latest technology and are aware of this feature on these phones and instruct the women on how to turn this feature off if needed.  Just last month,  a woman tried to leave her aggressor but the aggressor always took their daughter with him whenever she was ready to walk out.  She bought a Boost mobile phone for her daughter and installed a free app called Molo-something on the phone and was able to track her daughter using the internet.  She then called the police, told them where to find her daughter, and escaped with her daughter to safety.

So to make a point, ANYTHING can be used for good or evil.  Who are you to make that decision for us?

I'm sure the ACLU has an opinion on this. Maybe I'll contact them.