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Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

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

#101

Post by _8j50 »

I don't have a single Google device in my residence for this among other reasons. I bought a tablet once while traveling just like you with my cc, didn't have time to use it much, just streamed video (never signed in, don't even remember my google account from years ago), the tablet has no gps or mobile data capability. As soon as I got home it connected to my wifi automatically. I thought I lost my mind for a few minutes. My phone being connected and somehow associating me (they can fingerprint you by your device sensors -- patented) with the stores ssid is my only explanation.

I get MS and apple are locked down but why the hell would you use a product by a company that treats you like google does. Apple and MS are just greedy or shortsighted, google is openly hostile, it's not that they don't care about your privacy but that loss of your privacy is their main product!

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

#103

Post by ThePowerOfFuet »

brador wrote: post #98
freitasm wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not from HTTP requests. Android has access to the network stack and location. Google grabs all visible APs around and correlate to your location. It is way before HTTP even happens. This data is collected while you are driving around, walking down the street, etc.

How can you block this?

www.GrapheneOS.org

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

#104

Post by ThePowerOfFuet »

alwayslikethis wrote: post #73
Ctyra wrote: post #65

I am facing a different tyranny from Google. I just moved to US from a different country. I am not able to install any US based apps as Google play store has my original country tied in. Google knows I am in the US, but they want me to give a payment instrument (Paypal, or Credit card) before they allow me to update the country.

Use an alternative app store, like Aurora which allows you to access Play Store anonymously, or just download from an apk hosting site (apkpure or similar). For your privacy, just log out of google completely on your phone and preferably install a custom ROM that doesn't spy on you (GrapheneOS, CalyxOS if you have pixel, /e/ os otherwise)

Aurora Store is safe, as the APKs are fetched from the Play Store.

Anything else, and you are rolling the dice.

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

#105

Post by netsharc »

withinboredom wrote: post #88
AlbertCory wrote: post #24

As other people have said in exhaustive detail: where you are comes from a lot of signals other than your IP address at the VPN end of your VPN. Off the top of my head: you connected to some cell tower in Mexico. Go to google.com/history and clear out all history from all services. Go to YouTube and do the same. Clear everything from your browsers, meaning you have to log in again. If it's allowed, return the phone t…

I’ve tried everything but I can’t stop my google maps from randomly changing to Portugese. I went there for 5 days, years ago. I always change it back to English. It’s so frustrating.

I wonder which manager thought that's what the users want.. "Let's see, this user of ours has lived in the US for the last 10 years, he's never read any page in Portuguese, and he often uses Google Translate to translate Portuguese texts. But wait, he's currently in Portugal, he definitely wants us to be helpful and change the UI to Portuguese!".

In the same vein, I was holidaying overseas. I wanted to book a hotel back home for a ski weekend after I return. Despite Maps knowing my home address and probably a lot of other info (like my credit card billing address), it was showing the hotel prices for in the foreign currency...

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

#106

Post by justsomehnguy »

eternityforest wrote: post #66
jacquesm wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Could Google or anyone else still provide the service they do without tracking? Would it be profitable enough to keep doing it? What would actually happen for users if they added a zero? Would poor people be SOL if they want high quality maps?

Somehow ad networks worked fine before Android and Chrome supplying everything they can to the company.

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

#107

Post by eternityforest »

justsomehnguy wrote: post #106
eternityforest wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could Google or anyone else still provide the service they do without tracking? Would it be profitable enough to keep doing it? What would actually happen for users if they added a zero? Would poor people be SOL if they want high quality maps?

Somehow ad networks worked fine before Android and Chrome supplying everything they can to the company.

They did seem to work perfectly well, and the ad targeting was not much worse(Half the ads now are random startup gadgets I don't want).

But what about stuff like Google Assistant? Seems like Google does a lot that doesn't serve ads, so I assume it must be either to sell their hardware or to spy. Are the hardware sales alone worth it to a CEO?

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

#108

Post by leetnewb »

wdr1 wrote: post #92

If you, as the user, want to restrict this, you can do so here: https://myadcenter.google.com/controls/ads-data/historical-l... Advertisers are generally aware of this. They can control location & language targeting. Digital advertisers are aware digital target is imperfect, and that imperfection is often called "wasted" and is n priced in. Your comment about Edge on your desktop makes me thing something beyond Googl…

Edge runs on many platforms - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/download?form=MA13FW
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