You know Bruce - if we WERE doing something like this, there would never, ever be a 2+ week period where the world didn't know where an aircraft was located. There is only a limited amount of time for survivors clinging to a life raft, or worse yet, bobbing on the surface wearing a life vest. So a system isolated from in-air manipulation could be critical for personal survival.

I have to conclude that there is no system in place that functions in a manner that we are talking about.

The descriptions I'm hearing about the way INMARSAT communicates with the aircraft is that there are only "periodic" inquiries, and for sure the system can be turned off from within the aircraft.