Theme: Online

Topic: tracking Debate: Should people be able to track your mobile phone?

Project outline Read the Magna Carta: My Digital Rights Project Guide for Teachers to find out more about how to use this document.

Step 1: Setting the scene Begin by asking the group to watch the video clip. This film has been developed in partnership with WebWeWant.org.

Mobile phones can be tracked by the GPS signal that they produce. Sometimes parents use this to keep an eye on where their children are and sometimes the police use it to track down criminals and to conduct investigations. Whilst this can provide some people with a sense of comfort, many people feel that it is an invasion of their privacy.

Step 2: The big debate Should people be able to track your mobile phone?

Step 3: Making it memorable This is the moment for you to make the process and outcome of your debate memorable. Here are some suggestions of activities to consolidate and extend the learning gained by the students during their debate:  Students write their own individual clause for a collaborative whole-class Magna Carta for the digital age. The clause should best reflect their argument, and can be an opportunity to practise skills in summarising and synthesising ideas. Have a look at the British Library’s own Magna Carta for the digital age to read the many different clauses submitted by young people around the world.

 Create a campaign poster that reflects their arguments and opinions on digital rights. This can be done as individual or small group work.  Develop a school Magna Carta for teachers to sign.  Use the knowledge gained to campaign for change in school or in their community. Activities could include writing to a local MP, approaching the local media or producing an article for a school newspaper.  Use the insight and understanding gained to become involved in campaigns across the UK and internationally, with organisations such as Amnesty International.

Useful Resources

Films and articles Our website features a selection of resources which may help you and your students prepare for your debate. This includes:  A short film introducing the issues around online privacy  Articles exploring privacy and .

Prompt questions You may want to help direct your students' research and argument development with the following questions:  Do your parents follow your location by GPS tracking on your phone?  Do you think that parents should be able to track their children's location?  What peace of mind might it bring them?  What benefits might the police get from tracking people?  Should everyone's phone be open to tracking by the police?  How might GPS tracking benefit you – for example do you use it for sports such as running, or have you used it to find a lost phone?

External links

Below are some useful articles on the topic:  http://business.time.com/2012/09/14/should-you-use-your-smartphone-to- track-your-kids/  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3078229/Worker-fired-disabling- GPS-app-tracked-24-hours-day.html  http://m.cjonline.com/news/2014-11-11/car-stolen-topeka-found-through- gps-tracking  http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82061151/  http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/police-hackers-phone-tracking/

The

 Common EU protect your personal data:  https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/online-privacy  http://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/the_guide/principle_8  The Data Protection Act also protects you.