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Append "_nomap" to your AP's SSID to opt out of Google Location Services (2011)

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21–30 of 62 posts

Re: Append "_nomap" to your AP's SSID to opt out of Google Location Services (2011)

#21
post #9

Shouldn't it be the other way around? Opt-in instead of Opt-out: Append "_map" to your AP's SSID! Idiots.

Arguably, broadcasting an ID is opting in to people recording that they received the broadcast and where that occurred.

Re: Append "_nomap" to your AP's SSID to opt out of Google Location Services (2011)

#23
post #7
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you even read what this does? It's used to aid geopositioning. No data from the network is logged, other than its SSID/MAC address and its approximate location.

Yes I understand it entirely. There are enough AP's around me for Apple Maps to know if I'm in bed or having a poo. You can see the marker move. More services like this are bad. They already know who I am. What could possibly go wrong? Edit: when I say more services are bad like this I mean we should be opt-in for both collection and usage rather than opt out.

There is a funny bump on the side of your toy called a power button. Perhaps you could too could learn the joy of silence?

Re: Append "_nomap" to your AP's SSID to opt out of Google Location Services (2011)

#24
post #18
post #6

Anyone know a way to query the API for your BSSID and see if you're in their database, or do they just respond to queries with a location rather than per-network confirmations?

How to do the queries yourself: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/business/ge... How to look for access points near you (view this from a mobile): http://test-geolocation.appspot.com/ Or just use curl! Put in a mac address to query for: curl -d '{version:"1.1.0",request_address:true,wifi_towers:[{mac_address:"00:00:00:00:00:00"}]}' www.google.com/loc/json

You need a Geolocaiton for Business API key which requires a credit card as far as I can tell.

Re: Append "_nomap" to your AP's SSID to opt out of Google Location Services (2011)

#26
post #20

Once upon a time the default privacy model used to be "opt-in". Which then became "opt-out" thanks in large parts to Google. Of course it helped that very few "lay people" take active steps to opt-out. It appears "rename and opt-out" is the latest model. I'm guessing even fewer lay users will take this step. Technically this allows Google to claim it gives people an easy way to opt out, but in practice nothing much i…

Should you have to opt in to having your street listed in Google Maps too? Some people think so. I think that's a little nutty.

Re: Append "_nomap" to your AP's SSID to opt out of Google Location Services (2011)

#29
post #5
post #2

How about simply "fuck off Google". We shouldn't have to do that and then reconfigure our piles of client devices. Also isn't it about as useful as the do not track header? What about other vendors mapping it and data sense etc? I moan on behalf of others as my network is ethernet due to things like this.

Did you even read what this does? It's used to aid geopositioning. No data from the network is logged, other than its SSID/MAC address and its approximate location.

> No data from the network is logged

Nowadays it shouldn't, no, but Google's had some lawsuits where their Streetview cars accidentally scooped up random bits of data crossing over the wifi lines. This measure was added afterwards, iirc.

Re: Append "_nomap" to your AP's SSID to opt out of Google Location Services (2011)

#30
post #5
post #2

How about simply "fuck off Google". We shouldn't have to do that and then reconfigure our piles of client devices. Also isn't it about as useful as the do not track header? What about other vendors mapping it and data sense etc? I moan on behalf of others as my network is ethernet due to things like this.

Did you even read what this does? It's used to aid geopositioning. No data from the network is logged, other than its SSID/MAC address and its approximate location.

Except for that one small time in Europe when they "accidentally" captured live traffic en masse.. http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2010/05/17/google-admits-s...
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