GPS Tracking Phone Application Flaws Revealed

Every parent's worst nightmare is a situation where their child becomes missing. Frantically, a parent must wonder whether their child is at a friend's house, playing hide-and-seek, or the worst imaginable scenario where a person may have kidnapped their child. Sadly, that is what the family of 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten is struggling with right now.

When Elizabeth's family realized she was missing, they remembered that she had a cell phone on her and tried to use the GPS tracking system features on the phone to find out where she was. Almost all phones now have GPS tracking capabilities, however, if the phone is in an area where no coverage is present, or the phone is simply powered off, then the GPS tracking system features are useless. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's family had to learn about the flaws of GPS phone tracking system applications the painful way.

Authorities believe no foul play was involved in the disappearance on Elizabeth, and because so no Amber Alert was triggered. The Amber Alert system exercises multiple law enforcement, broadcasting, wireless, and transportation agencies to notify the public of a child abduction. Highway patrol officials set-up a road block, and over 50 search volunteers spent hours looking for Elizabeth near her last spotted location.