Tracking people: an introduction

The chapter introduces the myriad of ethical, legal, social and technical challenges raised by the use of wearable devices and apps which are used in circumstances when someone other than the wearer, for example, a carer, drug worker or medical professional who is in a position of responsibility/authority, suggests that it is in their interests to wear the device or use an app. The chapter reviews the benefits of using such devices in different domains, including criminal justice, health, social care and terrorism before highlighting the challenges. It demonstrates that many of the concerns and challenges are shared across domains, for example, the useability of equipment and who has access to data and how they are used. It closes by introducing the chapters which follow.