this article convinced me to never use an Android phone nor Google maps ever again,
“Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
21–30 of 256 posts
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
The article is pointing the finger at Google apps on iOS devices: “But while Apple's location data processing is anonymous, two hard-to-find settings— "Location History" and "Web and App Activity" — allow Google to keep track of everything their users search, and everywhere they go. It affects all Android users, and iPhone or iPad users with apps like Google Maps installed on their device.
If you switch off GPS for Google Maps on your iPhone, you should be save. Did that and only use Google Maps now to sanity-check Apple Maps traffic conditions.
Safe from Google and Apple but not from cell tower triangulation.
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#23Several years ago while living in London we had a visit from the police because they were able to access my partner’s Oyster travel card registration details — she had provided her home address and I hadn’t.
They were following up on an apparently minor assault and pulled tbe Oyster card details for everyone on a specific train.
Considering this is a city with ubiquitous CCTV, smart phones are just another data source.
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Personally I'm not a fan of Apple either (for non-privacy related reasons.) I'm planning to move my device (Pixel 2) to CopperheadOS to eliminate my concerns with Google services.
This will not protect you, cell phone operators will turn over cellphones connected to nearby towers with a warrant.
Not where I come from. Also, my main concern is a foreign company (Google) basically being a private intelligence agency and possessing information on my movements, interests and other things.
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your mobile provider will be just as helpful with law enforcement. They've been selling your location data for a long time.
I'm surprised how you don't hear about this information being used in missing persons cases.
It isn't all that useful. A friend has a business that helps LE on missing persons cases and while cell phone tower data can give at least an idea on where a phone was on last it does not say anything about whether that phone was still in the possession of the person that it belonged to and whether or not that is simply where it ran out of juice. It may give a vector for general direction of travel. So while it may be useful it is not a magical device, and more often than not leads to a lot of misdirected effort.
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#26So essentially they asked for anonymised lists of phones (i.e. not even the actual numbers) that had been in the locations where the suspects had been, then cross-referenced these to find potential suspects, presumably finding some phones that exactly matched the reported movements of the suspects which they then made a second application to de-anonymise.
Do people honestly think this is disproportionate for investigating a home invasion? It seems like they have been quite privacy conscious in my opinion.
What would have been a better way to investigate this crime?
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#27this article convinced me to never use an Android phone nor Google maps ever again,
Because you think Apple (iOS, Maps) is not susceptible to warrants? Or is there some alternative which won't track you at all?
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#28this article convinced me to never use an Android phone nor Google maps ever again,
Because you think Apple (iOS, Maps) is not susceptible to warrants? Or is there some alternative which won't track you at all?
Apple doesn't track you by default (or when it does, it sends the data anonymously).
The Apps on ios might track you, and that's why I will not use Google maps again.
Your provider indeed tracks you, but at least for now, the accuracy is way below GPS. It is an issue and we should all be worried about slippery slope that it puts us all on.
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#29Every time I see one of these I'm validated in my decision to switch to Apple.
Every time I read such misguided comments praising Apple's surveillance devices vs. the competitors I lose a little bit more of what's left of my faith in humanity. Even the supposedly tech literate among us have completely lost sight of the fundamentals.
I am just curious, what makes you think you are well-informed?
Re: “Reverse location” search warrants identify all cellphones near a crime scene
#30I find it concerning that a judge, being presented with a textual description of four GPS coordinates would sign off on a warrant without simply asking... "okay, can you show me that on a map then?"