The emphasized portion of that statement makes all the difference in the world! It’s an old story, even the most potentially destructive tools can have legitimate uses. I use a FitBit and some active location trackers on my tablet to help me with my jogging pace, but I very much understand other people that avoid any kind of tracking like the plague.
Sorry to hear your son has been taken advantage of like that. People can be really scummy, and I’m glad you’ve found good tools to help combat that, at least in some part.