A VPN helps
Comment on Location tracking of phones is out of control. Here’s how to fight back.
xylogx@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
A lot of great comments here. I just wanted to add that even just your ip address is enough to roughly track your location. When your phone checks gmail you are leaving digital breadcrumbs in Google’s logs of your ip address which roughly tracks your location. App permissions will not solve this. We need strong privacy regulations with teeth.
WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
There are still attacks that can get around the VPN. It certainly helps, but it’s not a complete solution on its own like VPN providers would like you to believe.
ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Yes, I am in Sweden, totally, believe it ipaddr checkers!
PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yes and no, when I check my actual IP address it shows that it’s somewhere pretty far away, I guess that’s where my carrier has their trunk connected.
pineapplelover@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
And then there’s wifi triangulation and Bluetooth which narrows it down further
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
And this is why my GPS and Bluetooth are disabled 99% of the time unless I’m actually using them. It cuts down on a lot of potential data leakage.
Poem_for_your_sprog@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Can’t they just triangulate you from cell towers?
Take the battery out I guess?
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Yup, but that would require more effort (I.e. interacting w/ network operator). Tracking someone by Bluetooth can be done passively, as evidenced by services like “Find my Droid” or “Find my iPhone” or whatever.
Blocking my cell radios eliminates the entire point of the phone for me, so the tradeoff is too steep. That said, airplane mode is right over there if you need it temporarily.
ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
What phone do you have, one of these?