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by cjensen 1204 days ago
AIS[1] is basically an airplane transponder, but for vessels and I think it broadcasts position along with identification. For safety alone, seems to me that any commercial vessel carrying paid passengers should have one.

But the Reason article is so vague I literally can't tell if they are talking about AIS, or some other bespoke system.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_identification_syste...

1 comments

They really don't explain the difference well.

AIS is a local broadcast. It's like having a number plate that's visible from 10 miles away.

VMS is 'phone home' system. It's like having a gps tracker with cellular connectivity on your car, reporting into a federal agency (not hyperbole, that's the design goal.)