Today, car thieves around the world are using gps jammer to make their escape easier, and experts say it is only a matter of time before more threatening parties prevail.
A jammer sends a low-power signal that generates noise and misleads a GPS receiver that the satellites are unavailable. They often use pranksters to confuse the police, avoid tolls, and sometimes even annoy unsuspecting users. However, the true extent of this threat is the unknown. Criminals could use them to hide their whereabouts from law enforcement agencies – and some experts fear that terrorists could use high-performance jammers to interfere with GPS reception on an airplane or during military operations.
The devices pose a serious social risk and are undoubtedly illegal to buy and use in the United States. The FCC is optimistic of prosecuting anyone who buys a GPS jammer and will prosecute and imprison anyone who uses one. Still, they’re easy to buy online, and their proponents say they should stay that way. Numerous GPS jammers can be obtained from numerous online sources for just $ 50.
“GPS is so entrenched in our company’s transportation, manufacturing, and business sectors that the risk is high,” said David Last, professor emeritus at Bangor University in the UK and a well-known agency for the criminal use of GPS jammers. “This is particularly true for telecommunications: GPS is the ultimate time source for most of our phone systems, the Internet and in the US for phone booths.”
All of these systems are potential prey for jammers, and are therefore largely illegal. But proponents of the devices say that they can serve a purpose and that people should have the right to buy them. And for now, they can.
While GPS jammers can help protect your privacy, this is not a good argument in itself for using a jammer. Anyone can hire a detective to search a car or personal belongings to find GPS receivers.
Apart from being illegal or believing that criminals can get away with it because customs don’t recognize them, there are a variety of critical devices that can be affected and there can be unintended consequences that cause problems.
The Air Force, which is responsible for the deployment and maintenance of GPS satellites, recognizes that GPS systems are vulnerable because they are widely available for public use. Of course, GPS and cell phone jammers are not exactly state of the art. The devices that cause signal confusion and interference are actually like illegal cell phone jammers.
The risk is low for airplanes that use ground-based radar devices for route guidance and have a satellite-independent backup navigation system. Military personnel use a private GPS network. GPS jamming can, however, lead to confusion in the cockpit, as pilots have to switch to backup navigation systems. Sea transports that require GPS coordinates to find port locations can also cause problems.
While the sale, import, possession, or use of a GPS jammer is illegal in the United States and the law actively pursues those who use it, GPS jammers continue to pose a potential risk if they are used carelessly.
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