Pet trackers that are both privacy-friendly and cost-effective in 2024
What does privacy mean to you? Have you ever been aware of your privacy concerns? Have you ever exposed your personal information in this digital age? Even through some pet trackers?
Indeed, privacy is a protection of personal dignity and freedom. Each of us has the power to manage our personal information. And to determine what information can be made public.
Statistics on a global scale show that the United States is facing a growing problem of privacy breaches. In the United States, however, there is a high level of concern about personal privacy in general. People recognize it as an integral part of individual freedoms and rights. Why are people compromising privacy so badly?
Research shows that modern technology networks are growing quickly, especially in the pet smart home industry. The popularity of certain apps has made it easier to access and share our information. But this has also led to leakage and misuse of personal information. Sometimes it can even trigger identity theft and fraud.
In this article, we'll explore in depth the importance of privacy. How can we ensure that we properly protect our privacy when using pet trackers?
Table of Contents
1.Importance of privacy
Privacy protection has always been a complex and controversial issue, and different individuals may have different views and answers. However, if personal privacy information once leaked or illegal use. It can easily lead to the infringement of human dignity. And even endanger personal and property safety.
In this era of advanced technology, people are enjoying the convenience it brings. But ignoring the problem of its leakage to people's various privacy thefts.
A single privacy may not be important, but massive databases are important. Because they can reveal behavioral patterns, preferences, habits, beliefs, and values of individuals and groups.
This data can be used for a variety of purposes. Some are beneficial, such as providing better services, products, and experiences. But some are harmful, such as surveillance, manipulation, discrimination, and exploitation. So, we should safeguard our privacy to prevent untrustworthy third parties from misusing or leaking our data.
2.Why do pet trackers leak privacy?
GPS pet trackers are an invention for improving pet safety and finding lost pets. The vast majority of pet trackers use the low-power Bluetooth (BLE) technology. Pairing between their devices does not require authentication. So, it provides an opportunity for hackers to get the location information of the tracked pets.
In addition, some GPS pet tracker apps do not perform server certificate verification. It causes the connected server to be vulnerable to cyber-attacks, which in turn leaks sensitive user data.
Adopting the above means, lawbreakers can easily access people's privacy as well as their daily habits. This leads to some irreversible harm, such as pet theft and crimes against pet owners.
Currently, there are a large number of pet tracker brands sold in the U.S. market. Most of them utilize 4G or cellular networks.
It was mentioned above that low-power Bluetooth technology and server-connected pet trackers are vulnerable to hacking. Therefore, they face a higher risk of compromise in terms of privacy protection.
To ensure more reliable privacy protection measures. It is recommended to choose GPS and radio signal connected pet trackers as a more preferable option.
GPS technology combined with radio signals achieves a higher level of encryption in the communication process. This encryption mechanism not only prevents the leakage of local information. It can also effectively block attempts by unscrupulous individuals to obtain user privacy.
When choosing a pet tracker, you can use GPS and radio connection technologies. They are an important part of ensuring the privacy and security of your pet and yourself. Therefore, a detailed comparison and evaluation of these products is provided below.
Scott Harper, an academic from the School of Computing at Newcastle University, made the following comments about pet trackers.
3.Tractive
The Tractive GPS Pet Locator System utilizes GPS and SIM card technology. Users must download a dedicated application to use it. A monthly subscription fee is also required.
The system works best in areas with good cell phone reception. You cannot use it in suburban and rural areas with poor signal or in remote locations.
At the same time, the system relies heavily on cellular networks. Therefore, there is a corresponding risk of information leakage.
In fact, in the Amazon shopping platform, we also found reviews left by Murphy. He implied that it has the potential to leak users' private information.
If you need to protect your privacy, you can step up your research and study of the brand. Understand its data protection policy, information collection, processing and storage measures. And consider the needs and risk tolerance accordingly. Then choose the right brand or service.
4.Whistle
The Whistle Pet Tracker utilizes a GPS and a SIM card component. Customers must pay a monthly fee and download a mobile app to use it. It has similar usage restrictions and other ways as the tractive pet tracker. You can also find articles about its leaked information on the internet.
Mozilla, a U.S. authoritative organization, has done a relevant study on whistle trackers. The organization pointed out that the whistle tracker is collecting users' private information. Although Whistle has not explicitly acknowledged that it may collect user privacy. It has also not expressed a protective stance on customer privacy.
Its parent company, Mars, has also made the following statement “We may sell anonymized data to third parties, and we may share anonymized or non-personally identifying information as described above. We may combine anonymized or de-identified information with other anonymized or de-identified information from other sources. We also may share aggregated and anonymized information with third parties, including for example advisors, advertisers, and investors, for general business analysis.”
Considering the behavior of its parent company Mars. Users should think carefully and deeply before making a purchase.
5.What kind of pet tracker should we buy?
As science and technology advance quickly, people need pet positioning systems more urgently. Therefore, some advanced new positioning systems have emerged. They use more high-end technologies such as GPS and wireless communications. They break through the limitations of traditional cellular networks.
It has higher positioning accuracy and more stable signal transmission.
This also greatly improves the pet owner's guarantee of pet safety. And protects the user's personal information.
The price of GPS and radio trackers is not much different from that of traditional trackers. This is because traditional trackers require a monthly subscription fee, whereas the former have no additional cost. Moreover, the former can provide users with more secure and convenient services. Next, I will introduce Garmin and Aorkuler pet trackers.
6.Garmin
The Garmin Pet Tracker utilizes secure Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and radio technology. Cellular networks do not play a role in this tracker. Thus, we effectively avoid the possibility of unauthorized access to the user's information. It protects the user's privacy to the fullest extent.
However, this tracker is not only expensive but also heavy. Therefore, it is not suitable for small dogs, but more suitable for large hunting dogs. So, if your pet is on the larger side, we recommend using a Garmin pet tracker.
7.Aorkuler
The Aorkuler Pet Tracker utilizes secure GPS and radio technology. It not only protects the user's privacy. And it is affordable with no additional subscription fees.
In addition, cellular network signals do not affect the tracker. So, the application remains reliable in suburban or rural areas.
The product uses an electronic compass to show the direction of the pet. It is easy to operate for common users.
If you want to get a practical pet tracker and are worried about the leakage of personal privacy. Consider purchasing the Aorkuler Pet Tracker, its performance is superior and well-deserved.
8.Summarize
In today's era of frequent information leakage, personal privacy and security are of great concern. The purchase of a pet tracker is not only about pet safety. It's more about protecting the owner's privacy. When choosing a product, it's important to consider both technical performance and privacy protection in the market.
Garmin and Aorkuler brand trackers utilize GPS and radio technology. They are not only accurate and reliable but also focus on user privacy protection.
As secure pet trackers, they are ideal. In the digital age, protecting personal privacy is crucial. We should choose those products that provide all-round privacy protection.
I’m currently searching for a cost-effective pet tracker. After reading this article, I feel that I no longer need to consider other options. The Aorkuler Pet Tracker seems like a good choice.
Yeah, I’m with you on that. Loads of folks are getting fed up with companies using their data for marketing. Just look at how many downloads DuckDuckGo’s getting, speaks volumes, right?