The San Diego government currently monitors driving habits through Bluetooth-enabled phones using Blufax, a Bluetooth tracking system. The city has at least 16 devices installed with plans to add one on each roadside call box. Information gathered by Blufax provides data accessible by both the local and federal government.
Some worry about privacy violations, although the primary purpose of Blufax is to monitor driving behavior rather than acquire personal data from drivers. However, if the city moves forward in its plan to strengthen the existing system, it is possible a person’s everyday movements could be easily tracked.
David Loy, legal director at ACLU of San Diego, drew a comparison between this system and “GPS tracking without a warrant.” Currently, no information is available on just how soon the city plans to install more Blufax devices.