Global Positioning System (GPS)

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a network of satellites that provide highly accurate time signals, enabling a GPS receiver device to calculate its position.

GPS was created by the US military, but is available for use by anyone with a receiver device.

Initially large and bulky, GPS receivers are now small enough to fit inside a vehicle and serve as electronic navigation aids, known as sat-nav devices.

The use of GPS has now become hyper-local with the use of smartphones and tablets and websites such as Facebook and Twitter giving users the chance to broadcast their location on these sites.

Many have questioned if this is an invasion of privacy and a potential dangerous development by giving criminals too much information on individuals' locations.