MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) — It could soon be illegal to use devices with GPS technology to track people without their permission.
The Wisconsin State Senate unanimously passed a bill authored by Senator Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) and Representative Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee) that is designed to protect victims against stalking and harassment. Petrowski says technology has gotten ahead of the laws, and this bill is designed to protect people’s privacy. “What is happening is people could put GPS on certain cars, and it was used as a harrassment (tool). Sometimes it was boyfriends trying to keep track of their girlfriends, and a whole variety of things. I think people have a right to privacy. You know, if you want to put something on somebody’s car, you should their permission to put it on.”
Petrowski says this bill helps to empower victims of stalking by providing a way to pursue action against their aggressors. It establishes a penalty for an individual who places a GPS device on another person’s vehicle or uses a GPS device to gain information about the person’s movements without consent.
The Senate unanimously approved the GPS Privacy Act Wednesday, but had to send it back to the Assembly after making minor changes to the bill. “There was two amendments that were added in the Senate. One dealt with a language change.”
The bill contains an exception for law enforcement officers executing a warrant, ensuring that the bill will not constrain police acting in their official capacity. There are also exemptions for parents and guardians of wards, as well as employers or lienholders tracking vehicles that they own. The GPS Privacy bill has received the enthusiastic support of both the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the American Civil Liberties Union.
