Emoti-Conned: Facebook’s Messenger App Tracks Users’ Very Specific Coordinates

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig May 29, 2015 Facebook users who already feel a tad ambivalent about the social media behemoth's extensive privacy issues might want to sit down for this squirm-inducing update on that front. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Pot Probs

Steve Sack, Cagle Cartoons, The Minneapolis Star Tribune Apr 21, 2014 Dig deeper

Distracted Driving: Technology Isn’t the Problem

Juan Bagnell / Truthdig Mar 11, 2014 How is an officer in California supposed to tell whether you're texting (illegal) or navigating (apparently not illegal)? Why not just look for bad driving? Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Couple Stranded for 3 Days After GPS Misguides Them Into Wilderness

Staff / Truthdig Dec 30, 2009 John and Starry Bush-Rhoads of Reno, Nev., made the biggest little blunder. Their GPS apparently directed the Rhoadses off the road they wanted to be on and into the Oregonian wilderness, where they were stuck for three days. Thanks to a more loyal GPS chip in one of their cell phones, they were eventually rescued. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Thanks to Sprint, the Cops May Have a GPS Fix on You

Staff / Truthdig Dec 3, 2009 Most mobile phones have tiny GPS chips that do things like give directions or route your call to the right city when you dial 911. It turns out that law enforcement can ask phone companies for GPS info that reveals exactly where a phone owner is, and, according to a disturbing piece of audio making the rounds, the cops asked Sprint-Nextell for the locations of customers 8 million times in one year. (continued and video) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Reefer Madness, Cali Style

Staff / Truthdig Feb 2, 2006 Mexican drug cartels have helped make California the largest domestic supplier of pot in the nation Seventy percent of the plants are growing in state and national parks zReportage magazine has an eye-opening photo essay and story. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )