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US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

zdnet.com

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Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#31

Post by dspillett »

pdkl95 wrote: post #8
assblaster wrote: post #4

The most obvious use of the data appears to be by credit card companies to detect fraudulent use of a card and decline those transactions. This is something I'm relatively comfortable with, though it's plainly in the interests of the bank and I only indirectly benefit from the tracking.

The most obvious use is insurance companies looking for excuses to deny claims.

As blocking fraudulent claims could remove a reason for my premiums to he higher, I can't say I'm against that.

With the caveat, for course, that people are not always where their phone is so this taken on its own would be circumstantial evidence: one would hope decisions are not made directly based on this information.

Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#32

Post by kevcampb »

kevcampb wrote: post #25

Carriers have been providing these services to 3rd party providers since at least 2006 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/feb/01/news.g2 A few points to note: * Obtaining consent is entirely left to the provider to implement. It does not appear to have any auditing. A provider can query any number they like. * The opt-in process used by many providers is easy to exploit, by spoofing SMS replies or abusing th…

I just discovered this treasure trove from the UK house of commons in 2006

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo06...

"To extend that to adults, The Guardian journalist Ben Goldacre showed recently that someone needs possession of another person's mobile phone for only a couple of minutes to appear to give the consent required under mobile phone companies' current procedures. The person he was tracking never got any of the warning messages that were meant to have been sent to her. Even more scarily, a hacker's website has recently published information telling how to spoof consent without even having to have temporary possession of the target's phone; all that is needed is the number. If someone has a person's number, he can track them. It is not a problem. I know where the website is, but I am not going to tell Members. It is possible to track people just through their phone numbers."

Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#33

Post by ahartmetz »

josefresco wrote: post #18
stevehawk wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? Releasing the data to the government creates Big Brother. I thought we were all against that?

Two big brothers: Government and Corporate - lately, in some cases, these brothers have merged.

There is this old theory about that: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_monopoly_capitalism The Marxist as well as the libertarian theories about it probably contain a few valuable insights and a few terrible ideas for fixing the situation, as usual for radical political theories.

Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#34

Post by stevehawk »

izacus wrote: post #22
stevehawk wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? Releasing the data to the government creates Big Brother. I thought we were all against that?

Now you've created a corporate Big Brother, who is hell bent on pure profits and doesn't even have to answer to you in the elections. Is that better?

Yes? Government Big Brother can put me in jail just because a cell phone record said I was near a crime while being committed. Corporate Big Brother can only make money from me.

Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#36

Post by itchyjunk »

I am starting to wonder what all have I consented to? Every week I learn I have consented to this and that because of a news article as I never read those contracts or TOS. I wonder if there will be a way to phrase long contracts into bullet list of ideas for someone simple minded like me in the near future.

Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#37

Post by emodendroket »

itchyjunk wrote: post #36

I am starting to wonder what all have I consented to? Every week I learn I have consented to this and that because of a news article as I never read those contracts or TOS. I wonder if there will be a way to phrase long contracts into bullet list of ideas for someone simple minded like me in the near future.

Is that possible? Yes, but it's not in their interest to do.

Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#38

Post by emodendroket »

> Kevin Bankston, director of New America's Open Technology Institute, explained in a phone call that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act only restricts telecom companies from disclosing data to the government. It doesn't restrict disclosure to other companies, who then may disclose that same data to the government.

It seems like intelligence services spend a lot of their time dreaming up ways to do an end-run around the law. This is the same reason US intelligence does partnerships with foreign intelligence services.

Re: US cell carriers are selling access to real-time phone location data

#40

Post by Sharlin »

itchyjunk wrote: post #36

I am starting to wonder what all have I consented to? Every week I learn I have consented to this and that because of a news article as I never read those contracts or TOS. I wonder if there will be a way to phrase long contracts into bullet list of ideas for someone simple minded like me in the near future.

One of the things that GDPR requires is real informed consent, small print hidden inside a thirty-page EULA is not acceptable.
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