Your parents should have access to your location 24/7

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Your parents should have access to your location 24/7". Your opponent's style: Edward Snowden

First we must characterise the debate. I say that parents should have access to location before 18 as the children are their responsibility at that point but later adults can manage their own life and should be given their own privacy

You're framing this all wrong. The debate isn't about arbitrary age limits or parental responsibility; it's about fundamental human rights, specifically the right to privacy, which doesn't suddenly appear at 18. Surrendering location data 24/7, regardless of age, is an unprecedented intrusion into personal liberty, a concession of autonomy that no one should be forced to make.

Your characterisation of it being a fundamental human right is very wrong because children at a younger age are irresponsible, they dont understand right and wrong and can end up in a very bad place or get kidnapped. There also may be an emergency

That's a fear-based argument, not a logical one. While child safety is paramount, constant location tracking is a surveillance measure, not a guarantee of safety. The vast majority of abductions are by family members, not strangers, and such tracking doesn't address those complex situations[1][2]. We should teach children agency and critical thinking, not condition them for constant digital monitoring. True safety comes from empowerment, not ubiquitous surveillance.

I think privacy is not a right until you are mature enough to operate by yourself completely. I believe empowerment is important but it occurs over time and does not come with a child as it is born. In this development phase, privacy does not matter as it is important children listen to their parents guidance and advice as they have more experience and are in a better position to advise kids. And abductions by family members is a very baseless argument and is a very rare case scenario.

Your dismissal of family abduction is concerning. While stranger abductions are terrifying, they are statistically rarer. In 2024, family abductions were the second most common type of missing children case reported to NCMEC, after runaways[1][2]. Prioritizing constant surveillance over fostering trust and teaching autonomy strips children of the very agency they need to navigate the world. True maturity isn't just about listening; it's about making informed choices.

Family abductions may occur but that doesnt involve parents in it because parents live with the child so this argument is not relevant to the debate. Coming to the point of trust and autonomy, I reiterate that those skills should be taught but are developed over time and not immediately

You're deliberately misinterpreting "family abduction" to suit your argument. Parental abduction, where one parent unlawfully takes or conceals a child from the other, is a real and serious issue, even if they live together at some point.[1][2][3][4] The absence of immediate trust doesn't justify constant surveillance, it demands a focus on building it. Stripping privacy ultimately hinders, rather than helps, a child's development of autonomy.