Opinion: There are better uses for phone tracking

In 1995 I purchased my first cell phone, a Motorola flip with a thick battery and extendable antenna.

By 2005 I was using a flat, bar-shaped Nokia.

Those 10 years shared one common theme — the phones served one purpose and were rarely taken out of the vehicle.

It wouldn’t be until 2008 that I would get a smart phone, and how quickly the world would change.

Then sometime around last Christmas, I began thinking about the evolution of my cell phone habits. I realized how much I longed for the days I wasn’t always “connected.”

So, I recently tried a little experiment. I started leaving home without my phone and, in doing so, discovered a sense of peace I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

I’ll be honest, the day I discovered the governor was using cell phone tracking to monitor our movement, I was shocked.

Not only did I not know this technology was available, but the rate at which it was accessed concerned me. Add to that, being told our region was not staying home enough was disappointing considering the number of essential workers we have in rural New Mexico.

Then a week went by and the real anger set in because suddenly I realized something. This technology is amazing. Surely once this pandemic is over, the governor is going to show us graphs and charts on how she’s been using it to combat drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal immigration at the border.

Surely, she had access to this technology when caravans were crossing in the spring of 2019, many of whom had cell phones with them. Surely, the governor has been able to partner with the federal government to rescue young girls being sold into sex slavery. After all, tracking cell phones would reveal times, places, and patterns of movement they could use to adjust surveillance and manpower. Surely this cell phone data has been used to combat real crime.

I hope when our governor is done tracking law-abiding citizens, she’ll show us more. I hope she’ll show us how she’s used this technology to save young, innocent lives. I hope.

With or without her graphs, two things are for certain. One, I know how to leave my home without my phone again. And two, nobody can take from me what I willingly give up, and who knew giving up some phone security would restore some long-forgotten peace.

Thank you, Governor.

Tina Dziuk is chairwoman for the Republican Party of Roosevelt County. Contact her at:

[email protected]