How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets • Hacker News Board

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#41

Post by nonameiguess » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:32 PM UTC

fma wrote: post #24

So, what's the best weather app to use that's not going to sell my location?

Just don't give it access to your location. Not like I've widely sampled all of them, but Apple's weather app I do currently use does not require location services. I can simply tell it the zip code I care about knowing the weather for, which may or may not be where I am physically located at the time.

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#42

Post by licheness » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:36 PM UTC

smallerfish wrote: post #35

Android lets you delete the advertising id that's mentioned in the article, as well as reset it. Does anybody who is in Adtech know what that does in terms of identifiability on brokers? Am I now "anon at location x,y", or am I "anon4321 at location x,y”?

Never underestimate the power of metadata. An expired ID that patterns quite similar to a new ID is quite easy to identify.

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#43

Post by edsimpson » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:37 PM UTC

fma wrote: post #24

So, what's the best weather app to use that's not going to sell my location?

The Windy privacy policy seems decent.

https://account.windy.com/agreements/windy-privacy-policy

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#44

Post by onychomys » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:40 PM UTC

Tjiti5igigi wrote: post #10

[flagged]

Some or most of that will require a warrant to access. This ad information can just be purchased, no judge sign-off required.

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#45

Post by username135 » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:51 PM UTC

One thing I've always been curious about, and have never been able to find a solid answer too, is what data is available to the various companies whose software I have on my phone?

What can AT&T/TMobile/etc... learn from my device as my carrier?

What can the apps I have installed decern from my device if I allow no access to anything settings?

How does this change if I use a vpn?

I have an idea of whats possible based on my career in tech, but I'd love a more solid answer. Happy to read any content answering the aforementioned.

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#46

Post by severine » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:54 PM UTC

fma wrote: post #24

So, what's the best weather app to use that's not going to sell my location?

yr.no

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#47

Post by KTibow » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:55 PM UTC

eastbound wrote: post #31

prepend wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ad serves up an image hosted by the advertiser. Phone makes an http get for the image and gives out its IP. You can also target ads by geography and do a lat/long box over your target area and show a specific ad so you know how many unique users are in that area.

Giving up the IP is against the GDPR.

All network requests give out your IP.

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#48

Post by nova22033 » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:56 PM UTC

hnburnsy wrote: post #6

>Working with Grindr data, Yeagley began drawing geofences—creating virtual boundaries in geographical data sets—around buildings belonging to government agencies that do national security work. Are you seriously telling me that government phones of national security employees allow for the installation of apps that track your location and/or these employees are allowed to bring personal cell phones into these buildi…

Personal phones, not government phones. Bringing your personal phone to Langley and leaving it in your car doesn't do much.

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#49

Post by nova22033 » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:57 PM UTC

Tjiti5igigi wrote: post #10

[flagged]

This article makes it clear that this location data is easily available to 3 letter agencies like the SVR and the GRU.

Re: How The Pentagon learned to use targeted ads to find its targets

#50

Post by nova22033 » Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 9:58 PM UTC

https://www.cnet.com/home/security/life360-app-is-selling-da...

Life360, like other apps that track location data, makes a significant portion of its annual revenue from selling this data -- about 20 percent in 2020.