UK government wants to track us when abroad (for good reasons)

The UK Government, through the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, have launched a new web based service called “Locate”. The principle is that travellers register their details on the site and the UK Government can keep an eye out for you whilst you are abroad.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/Locate/

Benefits of registering with LOCATE? 

• if a major catastrophe occurs we’ll have an instant record of your details so we can contact you to make sure you’re OK and provide advice
• if family and friends need to get in touch with you we can help them to find you

We’re confident Locate will improve our ability to provide help in crisis situations and reduce delay and worry in times of stress for family and friends at home.

I don’t believe this is for travel like a ”fly and flop” trip to Spain but for a whole class of other travellers. For example those travelling (or staying in) countries where British people tend to register with the local British embassy anyway (in order to be part of official evacuation plans and notification lists).

I would have definitely registered with the LOCATE service prior to planning some of my adventures.

I have twice come in contact with the Foreign Office whilst abroad - once in Yemen where we needed a diesel fuel drop arranged off the Yemeni coast and once in Iran following being hijacked by a military group and arrested on spying charges (although on the Iran occasion it wasn’t the UK embassy but another country’s, for diplomatic reasons). Therefore anything that assists the Foreign Office with the co-ordination of people like me should be supported 100%.

What is missing?

This system, although an interesting first step, needs to have a “registration API”. We could then, as part of a reservation system, have an “automatic notify” tickbox…. and send the data through systematically. That would be much neater.

(And if you are wondering why I think like this, many of the TourCMS customers are adventure travel companies - hence having seamless integration with LOCATE would be very helpful indeed)

See also Travolution

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