Albany, NY – Assembly Members Propose GPS Tracking Ban

Albany, NY – Dozens of New York legislators have proposed outlawing placement of a GPS device on someone’s car without their consent.

The legislation, sponsored by the Assembly Rules Committee, would make it a misdemeanor and allow civil suits. There’s an exception for parents when their children have the car.

It follows reports that Republican operatives secretly put a Global Positioning System tracker on a Long Island Democrat’s car to determine whether he lived in his district.

Speaker Sheldon Silver, head of the Assembly’s Democratic majority, says using GPS to covertly track someone is an invasion of privacy.

Sponsors note it wouldn’t apply to police, who are already required to get a warrant before using a tracking device.

It’s already illegal to use a GPS to stalk someone in New York.