Big Mother: is tracking technology a threat to a healthy childhood?

Tracking children with GPS-enabled devices is becoming practical and affordable, but child rights and privacy campaigners are worried

Losing track of a child is a terrifying prospect. The recent emergence of GPS devices that can report on youngsters' whereabouts, coupled with the falling prices of gadgets, seem to offer parents a tech solution.

Swedish firm Trax, for example, has designed a GPS tracker, on sale for $249 (170), that issues alerts when children step outside of pre-set "geo-fences" and allows parents to follow their children from their smartphone or computer in real time. French company Weenect has also created a GPS tracker for children, and for a99 it includes an SOS button that allows distressed kids to call their parents. The device can send notifications when children reach a set destination and allows parents to review where their child has been throughout the day.