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Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

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Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#591

Post by andrei_says_ »

emsixteen wrote: post #438
speleding wrote: post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a result of sales drones getting hold of my number, I have to put my phone on silent and never pick up unless I recognize the number. Very unfortunate. What if there is an emergency with my kids?

If you're using iOS you can set certain contacts to bypass silent mode so that you still hear their notifications/calls. I know it doesn't help with unknown numbers, but just saying in case you're not aware. I'd be surprised if you can't do the same on Android.

I am in a similar predicament - if there’s an emergency call from an unknown number I won’t heat it.

Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#592

Post by stavros »

wkat4242 wrote: post #316
dylan604 wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Until the app's devs get wise to this, and do not allow the app to function without the network access. It could be as simple as a full screen, non-closable screen that says the app requires network access with a button to the proper setting to correct the issue.

Yeah like the ChatGPT app that doesn't work without a Google account. I have Google play on my phone, just no account logged in. I do have Google play services like firebase push which many apps legitimately need. But ChatGPT just opens the login screen in the play store and exits itself. I'm always wondering why these idiots force the creation of an account with their direct competitor. It's the only app I have that…

It doesn't do that for me. There's a Google button, and then big sign up/log in buttons, and a non-Google email works fine.

Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#593

Post by tpxl »

DoctorOetker wrote: post #578
qingcharles wrote: post #453

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right now, my goto is signalhire

As we all know some of the "consent" pop-ups have a first page of general settings, and then a "vendors" page to further deselect all the "legitimate interests". I recently noticed that a fraction of the "vendors" allow deselecting the "legitimate interest" but have the "consent" tick box marked and unmodifiable. Consider the following page: https://www.brighthub.com/environment/renewable-energy/artic... The followin…

2) Are these even legal under GDPR rules?

No. And nobody cares.

Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#594

Post by rpigab »

megous wrote: post #588
rpigab wrote: post #542

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also why some Chinese apps put everything inside a single app and request every permission there is, then track you through Wifi SSIDs seen by your device.

Almost no mobile apps need to know the mac addresses of anything, let alone SSID/BSSID. Why would OS give this info up to some app?

Apps that have to link hardware via Wifi sometimes do, they take complete control over wifi in order to create a wireless access point and make the device connect to it during setup. I think Nikon camera remote control does this, also Meta Horizon, with Meta Quest VR headset, IIRC.

There's also Wifi ranging feature, but it shouldn't need to expose SSIDs to the app, I don't know the API, it should be limited to giving a precise location:

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2024/11/android-15-wi-fi-ra...

Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#595

Post by newscracker »

jcul wrote: post #417
gruez wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>One big privacy issue is that there is no sane way to protect your contact details from being sold, regardless of what you do. >As soon as your cousin clicks "Yes, I would like to share the entire contents of my contacts with you" when they launch TikTok your name, phone number, email etc are all in the crowd. Fortunately this is changing with iOS 18 with "limited contacts" sharing. https://mobiledevmemo.com/wp-cont…

On android you can choose whether to grant access to contacts. And most apps work fine without. GrapheneOS, which I use, also has contact scopes, so troublesome apps that refuse to work without access will think they have full access. You can allow them to see no contacts or a small subset. There's also multiple user profiles, a "private space", and a work profile (shelter) that you can install an app into, which can…

You have two different points in your comment. Firstly, iOS has not been behind on having apps work if they don’t get access to a specific sensor or data. It’s on Android that apps refuse to work if they’re not given contacts access or location access and so on. Comparing the same apps on iOS and Android, I have found that Apple’s requirements for apps not to break when a permission is not granted is well respected and implemented on iOS apps. The same apps on Android apps just refuse to work until all the permissions they ask for are granted. YMMV.

I do agree that iOS is behind by not providing profiles and multiple isolated installations of apps, and it would be great if it did.

Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#597

Post by slickytail »

noja wrote: post #410
wkat4242 wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Linkedin is so terribly evil these days. I also see the shenanigans of adding new 'privacy' settings and setting them open by default. Another typical Microsoft ploy by the way.

They were evil before. Previously they’d take your LinkedIn password and try using that to log in to your email account to grab your contacts.

The linked wikipedia article below says that they asked you for your email password specifically -- is there any evidence that they would try to use your linkedin password itself?

Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#599

Post by preciousoo »

mickgardner wrote: post #269

I find it fascinating reading hacker news, full of IT folk who simultaneously build software that enables and profits from the advertising and personal information selling & tracking industry - are also the same people who complain the loudest about it. Unbelievable.

What a comment! Do you use Twitter a lot, by any chance?

Re: Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

#600

Post by ParetoOptimal »

DoctorOetker wrote: post #578
qingcharles wrote: post #453

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right now, my goto is signalhire

As we all know some of the "consent" pop-ups have a first page of general settings, and then a "vendors" page to further deselect all the "legitimate interests". I recently noticed that a fraction of the "vendors" allow deselecting the "legitimate interest" but have the "consent" tick box marked and unmodifiable. Consider the following page: https://www.brighthub.com/environment/renewable-energy/artic... The followin…

Maybe you should look up their CEOs info on SignalHire and ask them?
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