Trackers on phones - weird or not?

[Judijudi]

Someone I know their entire family uses a location tracker on their phones for everyone in the immediate family, husband, son, son’s girlfriend, sister, nieces, nephews, parents. They all have it. I don’t know how often the others use it but frequently this person will say, oh I see sister has come home early from her holiday, or son’s girlfriend- oh she must’ve got out of bed to go to the hairdressers, you get the jist.
I find this really really weird and a total invasion of privacy. It actually gives me the creeps! I can see how it would be handy if someone unexpectedly goes out of touch and their is an actual reason to want to know where they are like they’ve gone hillwalking and not returned when expected or if it is someone vulnerable etc.
What do you all think?
YABU this is perfectly normal behaviour to track the movements of your entire family
or
YANBU it is TOTALLY weird and an invasion of privacy verging on stalking behaviour

But I think, contrary to Mumsnet canon law, that tracking kids is weird and intrusive. Cue the "but it's for their safety!!" posts. No it's not. It's so parents can helicopter

You have spectacularly missed the point, they’re ‘kids’. Excellent idea for safety reasons. ‘Intrusive’ is tiresomely over used on MN.

I think it’s disgusting, and totally unnecessary. I’d never ever do this with anyone. What happen to autonomy and trust. It won’t stop bad things happening

My daughter uses it for my granddaughter. Airtags think they're called. She has special needs and gets taxied to school 20 miles from her home.

@Dillane "You have spectacularly missed the point, they’re ‘kids’. Excellent idea for safety reasons. ‘Intrusive’ is tiresomely over used on MN."
I haven't "missed the point". I just don't agree with you!

I agree

No I am not an idiot just a normal person who has her own space - that was to Somanycats.

So what job do you do that you are not tracked? Doesn't it massively impact on your choice of jobs if you refuse to be tracked?

I can see the benefits in having your children on there, altho I personally still find it a bit weird.. but including partners and the wider family is just bizarre to me. Can’t think of anything stranger than my partners auntie tracking what I was doing 🤢

My 18yo recently opted out of family location sharing. It took me 10 days to notice, so he’s put it back on as I think it’s reassured him that I’m not stalking him. Last night I had a look when he went to play a gig with some people he’s only met once before, who picked him up and took him with them to the next big town over. Other families we know use Snapmaps in a similar way.

I get some people absolutely wouldn’t, but it is possible to have it without being creepy and obsessive about it.

My daughter and I can track each other on our iPhones. My son has his turned off. Never had it on my husband's phone.
I get anxious about my son (20, lives on his own), so we have got in the habit of 'good morning' and at night too - let's me know how the day has been. But I don't need to know where he is every second!
My daughter i generally just use as I collect her from the station so know when she's near. Occasionally I check to make sure she gets to school ok.

Thank goodness for the tracker app! I use the Find My in my iPhone although just linked to my daughter and partner.

Managed to leave my phone on an airplane a few weeks back. Brand new iPhone 14 and didn't realise until we got to the hotel. My partner was able to quickly track it back to the airport and it was still there a few hours later so we knew it was still in the country and now on the airplane back home 🤦‍♀️. Went back the next day from lost and found.

Also I like to check that my daughter has arrived in school as she catches a bus. Great for that aspect.

Definitely wouldn't want my whole family on there though!

My daughter showed me this feature on her Snapchat the other day. She could see the location of most of her classmates! It's crazy but the norm these days.

TheaBrandt
Also hate to break it to you but the kids locate each other all the time on Snapchat..so for that generation the horse has bolted on normalising it

++++

Exactly.

We use Life360 as DC would be mortified if their parents were on Snapchat.

It is purely optional but the way it works is that if one person doesn't want to share their location then they equally can't see where anyone else is.

It's only used for immediate family. Used by parents to check DC have arrived safely/ on their way home etc. Used by DC for "I see you are at Tescos can you get me xyz", to see what time they are getting picked up etc.

One family member has chosen to opt out which is fine.

@CurlewKate

why are you so bothered what other families choose to do. Each to their own.

I think it’s more weird that you and your husband use it for banter 😂😂

I wouldn't ever track anyone and I wouldn't let anyone track me.

But each to their own.

@Bumblepig "why are you so bothered what other families choose to do. Each to their own."

Are you new to Mumsnet? 🤣

@Bumblepig "I think it’s more weird that you and your husband use it for banter 😂😂"

He's currently working in a place where it's a 10 minute walk to a loo you can poo in. I just messaged him to ask if he'd remembered the loo roll. He hadn't. Probably the most useful a tracker has ever done!

@CurlewKate yeah I’m new.

im your DH, isn’t it funny I’m here hahaha

I share my location with my mum when I am driving long distance in bad weather, I also share with friends when meeting on holiday so we can see how far away everyone is without calling and distracting. Apart from that, I find it really odd.

I would never share with partner or anything as a standard everyday thing, not that he would ever check it. Neither of us think that because we are in a relationship that we need to know where the other is 24/7.

YANBU. If my parents, partner, siblings etc want to know where I am then they can text or call me. I usually text someone when I reach my destination or I'm leaving anyway. If you want to know when to put dinner on then just ask your partner/child to text you when they've set off...

@CoffeeBean5

"YANBU. If my parents, partner, siblings etc want to know where I am then they can text or call me"

+++

The family member who chooses to do this rather than use Life360 then generally gets shouted at by DC for "stop harassing me / embarrassing me in front of my friends / treating me like a two year old etc etc just to know where I am (viewed as v embarrassing and weird) - just look on Life360 if you want to know where I am and don't call / text me"

@1dayatatime when I was a teenager I just text my mum when I was heading back home. No biggie. I didn't give her hourly updates.

@CoffeeBean5

Unfortunately for my teenagers assuming they even remember to do it then writing a four word text "on my way home " is way too much effort and way too embarrassing especially when you can get this info from a location sharing app.

I really don’t like it. I see friends just sitting there checking where their partners are and teenagers. Fine if your teen has gone somewhere quite far etc, but it’s taking things too far in my opinion. If some people like it fair enough, but not for me

My abusive ex would have loved this sort of tech. It all would have been dressed up as being concern for me, and I would have had my every movement monitored.

My other half is a police officer and we do have the Life 360 app, mainly so I can check where he is if he's late off and don't panic. eg this morning I woke at 5am, he was meant to finish at 3am and wasn't home, I looked on the app and he was driving home - panic over! Also there was a case near us where a car crashed and wasn't found for some time so I always think of that too. Not for everyone I understand but it works for us.