Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Untitled topic

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 104 posts

Re: undefined

#21

Post by rufus_foreman »

Rd6n6 wrote: post #20

> How can I stop companies from getting my location data? The steps they list only cover gps data. In my final year at uni, during the capstone fair, I recall one group built a tracking system that relied on Bluetooth or wifi or something (maybe cellular signals?) to identify and track people indoors. I think they pitched it to be used in malls or airports, but really could work anywhere. It was surprisingly robust.…

>> How can I stop companies from getting my location data?

Can't you just turn that off? Am I missing something?

Re: undefined

#22

Post by salawat »

Frost1x wrote: post #8
harlanji wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lived in my car in SF a waymo would pass me right when I left and at many key intersections and at my destinations. I know it was not random but I don’t go down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out how they did it. If I get proof then I’d be vindicated. I tweeted about it as a human rights violation often, having no way to retreat. I long ago took it as a given that we have no privacy. I can only imagine wh…

How could it not be random, dare I ask? I don't agree with the current directions of technology in terms of surveillance and data collection for private and powerful interests, but I find it far more likely that living in SF you'd be exposed to more mobile Waymo platforms that just happen to be collecting data regularly as part of engineering work, data collection, testing, and so on. No offense but why would Waymo c…

...No man, they weren't tracking you...

They were just testing their equipment to track everyone better!

Absolutely surreal the mental gymnastics some are capable of convincing themselves to be comfortable with. Sometimes the problem is that the technology is being applied at all. The fact every techbro hides behind "Pfft, it ain't you we're interested in," doesn't quash the unspoken "it's everyone and you".

Re: undefined

#23

Post by nerdponx »

Rd6n6 wrote: post #20

> How can I stop companies from getting my location data? The steps they list only cover gps data. In my final year at uni, during the capstone fair, I recall one group built a tracking system that relied on Bluetooth or wifi or something (maybe cellular signals?) to identify and track people indoors. I think they pitched it to be used in malls or airports, but really could work anywhere. It was surprisingly robust.…

I once read that Apple and Google actively keep track of Wifi access points so they can map out interior spaces, and also geolocate you even if you have GPS location services disabled. I don't know if that's true, but I wouldn't put it past them.

Re: undefined

#24

Post by estaseuropano »

rufus_foreman wrote: post #21
Rd6n6 wrote: post #20

> How can I stop companies from getting my location data? The steps they list only cover gps data. In my final year at uni, during the capstone fair, I recall one group built a tracking system that relied on Bluetooth or wifi or something (maybe cellular signals?) to identify and track people indoors. I think they pitched it to be used in malls or airports, but really could work anywhere. It was surprisingly robust.…

>> How can I stop companies from getting my location data? Can't you just turn that off? Am I missing something?

You don't need to send location data to reveal it. E.g. WiFi signal strength of different devices and cell tower strength or switching are easy points to help locate someone. Google was already prohibited from collecting WiFi data in the EU (with streetview cars specifically, but what would stop them from using any android device...), you can bet they still do it in the rest of the world.

Re: undefined

#25

Post by isoprophlex »

randmeerkat wrote: post #9
isoprophlex wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. It is cancerous, because it erodes our privacy and degrades our user experience. And for developers, you are forced to enter the spy-on-your-users rat race because everyone expects free shit.

> And for developers, you are forced to enter the spy-on-your-users rat race because everyone expects free shit. I would happily pay for a quality product that respected my privacy.

Yeah, me too; i have paid email, paid adblocking dns. I de-googled my life and ditched FB, insta, twitter. (Ok, that I also did for my own mental well-being)

But I'm, what, a 0.1% minority of global internet users?

Meanwhile I try to find suitable games for my kids to play or video's to watch, and 9 out of 10 things I find have monetize through some quality-reducing, interruptive, annoying ad-driven modus operandi.

It's not just services or software: consuming content is equally degraded by the expectation of limitless quantities of free shit.

Re: undefined

#26

Post by milofeynman »

nerdponx wrote: post #23
Rd6n6 wrote: post #20

> How can I stop companies from getting my location data? The steps they list only cover gps data. In my final year at uni, during the capstone fair, I recall one group built a tracking system that relied on Bluetooth or wifi or something (maybe cellular signals?) to identify and track people indoors. I think they pitched it to be used in malls or airports, but really could work anywhere. It was surprisingly robust.…

I once read that Apple and Google actively keep track of Wifi access points so they can map out interior spaces, and also geolocate you even if you have GPS location services disabled. I don't know if that's true, but I wouldn't put it past them.

https://support.google.com/maps/answer/1725632?hl=en

Re: undefined

#28

Post by sys_64738 »

How does data get off my smartphone?

    * Apps
    * Carrier geolocation
    * Bluetooth tracking
Are there any others?

If I disable location tracking then am I safe? I don't install crappy vendor apps on my smartphone to begin with.

Re: undefined

#29

Post by barathr »

This is a layered problem; Apple and Google (for better and worse) are best positioned to deal with the app ecosystem.

But there's the mobile provider piece of this -- the tower knows where you are because currently it has to, and the network providers are part of this location data market, selling location data for everyone, whether they use leaky apps or not. This is worse with 5G due to smaller cells and thus finer-grained location data.

With a colleague I've founded a startup, Invisv, to provide location privacy -- and more. FWIW, Wired wrote up our work on this several weeks back: https://www.wired.com/story/pretty-good-phone-privacy-imsi-w...

Re: undefined

#30

Post by rufus_foreman »

estaseuropano wrote: post #24
rufus_foreman wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> How can I stop companies from getting my location data? Can't you just turn that off? Am I missing something?

You don't need to send location data to reveal it. E.g. WiFi signal strength of different devices and cell tower strength or switching are easy points to help locate someone. Google was already prohibited from collecting WiFi data in the EU (with streetview cars specifically, but what would stop them from using any android device...), you can bet they still do it in the rest of the world.

I'm not on wifi, mostly I'm on a desktop computer with a VPN. I'm not an expert, how much of my location data gets sent when I do that.
Post reply on HN