This is a problem even without this. The account owner can get lists of all outbound calls of their victim’s line if they share a plan.

The fcc requires some remediation if a domestic abuse order is submitted but obviously that’s at the far end of the abuse cycle.

The issue here can be traced all the way to phone companies pushing the very concept of family plans because it makes churn more difficult.

An abuser can shut off their victim’s phone line on a whim with convenient online interfaces.

Phone companies don’t treat their customers will respect because their is no requirement. No one of adult age should be subjected to any of these controls simply because someone else pays.

The health industry has rules around this. The moment a child hits 18, their claims disappear and the parent loses access to medical records.

There is absolutely no reason phones should not have the same restrictions but the industry lacks the will and will until the fcc or other three letter agency forces the issue.

If you are in a healthy relationship, you can do this voluntarily and for free using functionality built into the OS or third party apps, without paying your network operator $10/mo

Unpopular opinion: Your kids do not actually have freedom if you’re tracking them.
Even if it is “just for emergencies” and “we don’t actually look at it”.
I enjoyed a completely untracked childhood, and I will make damn sure my kids can have that too.
Just knowing that your parents trust you is a priceless feeling.

I understand wanting to do this as a parent, but I’m so thankful I grew up without cell phones. I would never track a teenager. I feel like teenagers need space to assert their own autonomy and form an identity apart from their parents. When I think of the best moments I had with friends, it’s almost always something that would have technically gone against my parents’ knowledge and wishes, even though my parents were very good to me overall.

I grew up in a time before cell phones, I had a lot more freedom than your kids will ever experience. Crime rates were much higher back then by the way. I still survived even though my parents rarely knew where I was between 4 and 6 pm, but I was always home in time for dinner.

My kids don’t even have phones, as they do not need them and they are unhealthy for the young brain’s development.

I also don’t use location services on my phones. Fuck all that tracking bullshit.

aaand next time they’ll leave their cell phone home to not get tracked, so not only do you not get their location, they can’t even call you in an emergency

good parenting, i guess

The carrier can track a phone without sim card but it’s not the case if you turn on airplane mode. The whole point of airplane mode is to prevent the phone from emitting any signal to avoid interference with critical aircraft instruments. I don’t see any company risking to circumvent such a critical security feature, it would be easily verifiable.

If you want to install free tracking tools, you’ll need consent or try to guess the lockscreen password to try to install it covertly.

With this, its doesn’t require consent, since most families are on the same family plan.

Only abusers would use this, since a normal person who actually cares about a family member’s safety would just ask them to install a tracking app voluntarily and be transparent about it.

Its tracking either way, but doing so voluntarily is way less creepy and also free.

Most modern Android and iOS allows you to share your locations for free via Google and Apple “Find My Phone” networks.

I have very mixed feelings about androids crash detection. The personal privacy is fine but - fucking google.

Same here even without dangerous activities. I may look up where my partner is at the end of the working day. Still in the office? May be a rough day, I can think about some nice dinner and serve a glass of wine 30 seconds before she comes back home.

A reciprocal arrangement would also work. My little terror will soon be at the point of having a mobile phone. My wife and I already share locations in real time. They will get the same arrangement. We can check on them, however, they can also check on our location. Moving on from this, in the future will be a negotiation, not an ultimatum.

It’s also worth noting however, that a level of accountability is required with phones and social media for children. Knowing that mum or dad might go through their phone to check things makes them think about what they are doing. It is also required to make sure they don’t err too badly. The key is to be open, clear and reasonable in your requirements of them. Also, never mock or belittle. To you, it might be a cute minor kids spat. To them, it’s the life or death of their entire social life.

If you have a good relationship with your children, these will be a non-issues. Mutual respect (not fear) is a FAR better position to take, parenting wise.

Yeah making it optional for them to turn on because they are still entitled to privacy even though they are children is the key to building trust. Them trusting you as a parent is the most essential thing here, there is always a way around something, you want them being honest by choice rather than sneaky or you forcing “honesty” by coercion.

We always did that from when the kids were younger and my now adult daughter still chooses to turn it on when going on dates.

But you need geolocation. This, at least, can track you scarily accurate. Cannot escape it except you have more money depending on which situation. (Like parents giving it for free to the child, so the only escape is to either have secretly a second phone with own carrier plan or be open and purchase your own carrier plan by gaslighting its needed)

“Good morning daughter, how it was the date last night? great motel uh? ;)”

Oh yeah, that’s what parents need… Do you need some medical help?

I’m sure that the “consent” is part of the terms and conditions when you sign up for a line on a family plan. Not that it’s genuinely informed consent, or that people know what they agreed to, but technically…