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Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

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31–40 of 135 posts

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#31
I have location tracking disabled on my Android phone and moved to a different state over a year ago but they still show my old home and work pips on the map. However, the articles in the Google Assistant pane are now nearly all relevant to my current location but they gradually transitioned from the old regional news over many months. This is one of the few places where I leak detailed fingerprint data with unfiltered web browsing.

Google is clearly collecting its tracking from a variety of sources but integrates it sporadically.

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#32
I'm sorry that you were oblivious to this, but their job is to track and monetize anything they can unless it's explicitly outlawed. Even then, Alphabet breaks the rules (namely of the EU) all the time as they seem to be content with paying fines on a regular basis.

https://www.wired.com/story/eu-hits-google-third-billion-dol...

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#33
Yes I fucking hate that. Google knows where I am and all searches take into account my location and I can't change it. If I change IPs, it's a matter of days before they find out. I think they do it using physical geolocation (gps, wifi routers nearby) from Android phones connected to my wifi network.

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#34

I recently bought a brand new pair of golf shoes from a physical store. I did not even search for them or look at any golf shoes online. The next day, I got Google ads served for the same brand of shoes I bought... Coincidence? Seemed very creepy. I know they sometimes do "re-tageting", but in this case I am sure I didn't look at any stores online. Only the fact that I physically visited a store with my tracking devi…

I would guess it is linked to a membership with the store or a credit card used for purchase.

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#35

I recently bought a brand new pair of golf shoes from a physical store. I did not even search for them or look at any golf shoes online. The next day, I got Google ads served for the same brand of shoes I bought... Coincidence? Seemed very creepy. I know they sometimes do "re-tageting", but in this case I am sure I didn't look at any stores online. Only the fact that I physically visited a store with my tracking devi…

credit card data

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#36
post #32

I'm sorry that you were oblivious to this, but their job is to track and monetize anything they can unless it's explicitly outlawed. Even then, Alphabet breaks the rules (namely of the EU) all the time as they seem to be content with paying fines on a regular basis. https://www.wired.com/story/eu-hits-google-third-billion-dol...

The EU should add a zero to their fines. That will surely get some attention.

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#37
Google’s IP geolocation database can sometimes be weird and not match what other providers think. One day, Google decided that I’m in the Netherlands (I’m not, I’ve never been there, and I haven’t used a VPN). This affected ads and displayed prices in a few random places, but then it went to normal.

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#38
Have you not been out of the country in the last decade?

This is both expected and known and waaaay deeper than what you think.

The ad brokers - of which there are thousands - are tracking you and sharing information collected between different apps to each other. Each app has several analytics packages that send this data.

Any ad server can get this from an analytics package, or from another ad broker. Many ad brokers function as every other component in this web too. Just like Google has both Google Analytics, an ad serving platform, an ad brokering platform and ability to get data from other ad brokers, all alongside the ability to directly track you like you imagine. But probability wise, it’s not “Google tracking you”, its everyone.

Re: Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

#39
Google uses the whole bag of tricks to correlate your location and other personal information, they are actively engaging in a surveillance system which previous Stasi members (yes Eastern Germany) have described as a wet dream.

That can include any number of avenues, including from implants they've put on devices you may carry. For example, even if you don't have location services on, depending on the model it will keep the last X number of AP points and cell towers that came into range, and that information may be used to correlate your location regardless of if the feature was turned on or off by you. I'm pretty sure intermediate cell towers sell some of this information to Accurint which is where most governments agencies go for information when not Palantir.

Google has a lot of ad fraud because of their pernicious use of surveillance may indicate you fall within a demographic to their ad companies that you do not, but they are the only marketshare in town for ad providers.

No there isn't a way to game the system in any way, you have no control over their algorithms, or even your own hardware.

You may also notice that if you talk about a specific thing hitting the same keywords over and over within a few minutes, within range of one of those devices all the ads switch to that thing. Like a purple dog collar. Technically that's wiretapping, and should be illegal, but no ones holding them to account because someones decided its not illegal if an algorithm does it?

For anyone not aware of the tech involved in this, this may seem like a tinfoil hat like response invoking the I can't believe it response. That's fine, but it is happening regardless of people thinking those thoughts, and you have no agency to change or stop it which was by design.

If you are unhappy with that, the only option is to become an expert in the technology, or bury your head in the sand.

The thing that most people don't get about privacy is, privacy is your future. If you give up your privacy, you are giving up your future.

Whatever that may be, its what you are trading when you use anything made by companies involved in this despicable and evil trade.

You become a victim to anyone who pays to have access to that information or some derivative of it, and its done in a subtle way that you don't concretely know when that's been used against you or when its happening.

Those companies won't give you enough information to make an informed decision about it because they are deceitful and malevolent by design and have used leveraged buyouts to consolidate that power in a global game of monopoly, and most likely received funds from people within the government to set this up in the first place.

They have gotten where they are now at by stripping agency, and voice, and corrupting and subverting the areas they would normally be held to account.

So the only real alternative without specialized knowledge is to become a luddite and not engage in society (in the US).

This mostly because everything is being forced through compulsion into the online space without proper safeguards, you have companies who are acting as arms of government without government oversight, which is also by design.

Most people can't become a specialist at tech overnight, and the people that do go the luddite route are ostracized, and have less opportunities for anything that falls in the social spectrum.

Many people do not realize just how bad things have gotten because they rely on institutions to get their news, such as from the Sinclair's of the world.

If you have a chance look at the deadspin Sinclair video. That was made years ago, and despite that and other issues, they were still authorized for further mergers to consolidate their business.

The reason the world is getting so crazy and going off the rails is because these 'evil' people have been allowed to continue this attack on agency and speech without restriction, and the people responsible for not taking action against these companies are the same people we voted into office but more appropriately were tweedism'ed into office without a real choice by us.

When you look at social media stuff, you always have to wonder if the people responding are real, most of the time if the post has an algorithmic negative sentiment then you'll be downvoted, not by real people but by bots. To de-amplify your voice. The same goes for news, to amplify your engagement.

If you've read any history, you would understand we have very dark times ahead of us, and the previous generation who came to power in the 90s, will have a legacy of the generation that failed in every area that counted because they sacrificed their childrens future for short term goods which were then stolen from them under the same framework they supported.

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