Company vehicles
Businesses can use vehicle tracking for legitimate purposes such as scheduling, safety, theft recovery and managing costs, as long as it is lawful, fair and transparent. In practice that means telling drivers that tracking is in place and what it is used for, keeping a written policy, limiting who can see the data and not keeping it longer than needed. Because the data can identify a driver, UK GDPR applies. The ICO has specific guidance on monitoring workers, and GOV.UK explains workers' rights when they are monitored. Our guide to GPS vehicle tracking and UK GDPR goes into more detail.
Take particular care where a company vehicle can also be used privately, because tracking someone outside working time is much harder to justify.
Your own vehicle
Fitting a tracker to a vehicle you own, to protect it or help recover it if it is stolen, is a normal use. If other people drive it, they should know about it.
Someone else's vehicle
Fitting a tracker to a vehicle you do not own, or to another adult's car without their knowledge, creates serious legal risk. It can amount to unlawful processing of personal data, can form part of harassment or stalking (see the Protection from Harassment Act 1997) and can lead to civil claims. Do not do it. If you are concerned about a partner, a family member or anyone else, speak to the police or a support organisation instead.
If you think you are the one being tracked, report it to the police.
If you run a fleet
Trackmatic provides tracking technology for business fleets, and your business remains responsible for how it uses the data. If you are setting tracking up for the first time, see our buying guide or contact us to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal for an employer to track company vehicles?
Generally yes, for legitimate business purposes, provided it is lawful, fair and transparent under UK GDPR. Employers should tell drivers, have a written policy, limit access to the data and be careful with private use of company vehicles.
Is it legal to put a GPS tracker on someone else's car?
Doing so without the owner's knowledge is likely to create serious legal risk, including under data protection law and harassment or stalking legislation, and may lead to civil claims. Take legal advice, and do not fit a tracker to a vehicle you do not own.
Do I have to tell drivers they are being tracked?
Transparency is a core requirement under UK GDPR. The ICO's guidance on monitoring workers expects employers to tell workers what is monitored, why and how the information will be used.
Setting up tracking for your business?
We can explain how it works and what to put in place. Tell us about your fleet.
Request pricing for your fleet Get a quick quote