Mechanic Uses His Computer to Stalk and Control Ex-Girlfriend’s Car

Technology is like any tool. Some people will choose to use it in ways that are creepy, dangerous and illegal.

A Hobart man deliberately downloaded and set up an online application that gave him control over the stop and start function of his ex-girlfriend’s car and allowed him to track her movements, a court has heard.

The 38-year-old pleaded guilty in the Magistrates Court in Hobart to stalking his ex-girlfriend last year.

The two had dated for six months.

The court heard the mechanic had made a “concerted attempt” to monitor his ex-partner’s movements both by “physical covert surveillance” and “review of data”.

[…]

It was also revealed he had helped his victim to buy a Land Rover and as a consequence had access to the vehicle’s VIN, which allowed him to set up the app.

Unbeknownst to the victim, the app sent him live information about her movements to his email account and enabled him to remotely control the car.

He also bought spyware and paid a monthly fee to monitor her phone location.

This scenario reminds me of a rather dark comedy that was released in 1997 – Addicted to Love. The film had an all-star cast – Meg Ryan, Matthew Broderick, Kelly Preston. Viewers could definitely relate to the heartbreak that led to the stalking. There were also some funny and even tender moments. Eventually, there was a “happy ending” for the stalkers – but not as much of one for exes they stalked.

Unfortunately, new technology makes stalking easier than ever. Of course, just because you can stalk, doesn’t mean you should. Best-case scenario – you end up looking like a fool. Worst case – you end up in jail with no privacy.

Activist Post reports regularly about the ups and downs associated with new technology. For more information, visit our archives.

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