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" Q: I read that all new mobile phones have some sort of GPS tracking installed in order to trace the location of 911 calls. Is there any way to turn this off? A: While FCC rules require that phone companies provide all handsets with some way of tracing 911 calls, whether or not your cellphone has a true GPS inside it depends on the carrier. While AT&amp;amp;amp;T and T-Mobile most often determine a 911 caller&amp;#039;s rough location by triangulating the signal using different radio towers, Sprint and Verizon rely on real GPS chips in their phones. Still, the result is roughly the same. &amp;quot;A 911 call triggers the chip, and the coordinates are sent to the local PSAP [Public Safety Answering Point],&amp;quot; says Verizon spokeswoman Debra Lewis. This system is generally accurate within 160 to 500 ft. While the only way to turn this tracking off is to shut down your phone, it is not actually activated unless you call 911. If you think this raises privacy concerns, just consider the nature of mobile phones, which are continually connecting to towers. Records are kept of every tower your phone communicates with. While it may not be as precise as true GPS, this information is being recorded any time your phone is on.  RELATED STORIES * ANALYSIS: The Problem With Traffic Cameras Tracking You  * PLUS: 5 New GPS Features to Guide You This Year  * NEXT: 4 iPhone SDK Lessons From Steve Jobs   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/how-to/a2796/4258805/>