07/17/2008

Several Internet sites offer small localized GPS jammers for sale, such as a "GPS Blocker" with an advertised 10- to 20-meter range for roughly $200. "Just plug into a standard cigarette lighter with 12V for power, and it will automatically protect you from any GPS tracking on and within your vehicle. This is a popular item with sales personnel and delivery drivers, who wish to take lunch or make a personal stop outside of their territory or route."

On May 28, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a citation to David Steele Enterprises of Newport Beach, California, for marketing in the United States unauthorized radio frequency devices in violation of the Communications Act of 1934, specifically a GPS jammer imported from Taiwan. The company admitted selling 67 GPS Jammers between December 5, 2007, and May 16, 2008. The FCC stated that the main purpose of the jammer device - blocking or interfering with radio communications - is clearly prohibited, and threatened fines of up to $11,000 per device sold.

Hacker sites also publish instructions for a "do-it-yourself GPS jammer that can have a range of up to several hundred feet. Keep in mind this is not an easy hack; a bachelor's in electrical engineering seems like a prerequisite." The parts can be obtained at shopping-mall electronics retailers.