Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night, and They're Not Keeping It Secret (nytimes.com) 98
Dozens of companies use smartphone locations to help advertisers and even hedge funds. They say it's anonymous, but the data shows how personal it is. From a report: The millions of dots on the map trace highways, side streets and bike trails -- each one following the path of an anonymous cellphone user. One path tracks someone from a home outside Newark to a nearby Planned Parenthood, remaining there for more than an hour. Another represents a person who travels with the mayor of New York during the day and returns to Long Island at night. [...] An app on the device gathered her location information, which was then sold without her knowledge. It recorded her whereabouts as often as every two seconds, according to a database of more than a million phones in the New York area that was reviewed by The New York Times.
At least 75 companies receive anonymous, precise location data from apps whose users enable location services to get local news and weather or other information, The Times found. Several of those businesses claim to track up to 200 million mobile devices in the United States -- about half those in use last year. The database reviewed by The Times -- a sample of information gathered in 2017 and held by one company -- reveals people's travels in startling detail, accurate to within a few yards and in some cases updated more than 14,000 times a day.
At least 75 companies receive anonymous, precise location data from apps whose users enable location services to get local news and weather or other information, The Times found. Several of those businesses claim to track up to 200 million mobile devices in the United States -- about half those in use last year. The database reviewed by The Times -- a sample of information gathered in 2017 and held by one company -- reveals people's travels in startling detail, accurate to within a few yards and in some cases updated more than 14,000 times a day.
Re:I have an iPhone (Score:4, Informative)
I was basically going to say something similar but add that iOS only allows an app access to location service "while using the app", otherwise, permission is refused by default.
Apple are pathological about battery usage, and quite rightly [apple.com] also take privacy far more seriously [macworld.com] than most other companies, thus the reason iOS allowed you control over apps well before Android starting implementing similar controls - minus Google services that is, because, you know, Google is All Knowing.
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But I don't trust Apple with my Location Data. Who's to say they are not collecting it and working with it nefariously themselves and simply superficiating authentic control over it not being gathered? Frankly there is just too much bad going on within these big companies for me to trust any of it.
If you don't trust Apple, who of all of the corporations at least appears to be trying to respect privacy, you can choose to not use a smartphone, or to have one that you only turn on when you want to make a call or access the Internet. If you need to be accessible by phone no matter where you are, you can choose to have a simple cellular phone that doesn't run apps, assuming that you trust that the cellular telephone company's tracking of your location by cell phone tower location isn't violating your pri
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It doesn't matte whether you trust Apple or Samsung or whomever, Until the cell phone companies are prohibitted from monitizing you location data, they'll still be the premier source of data about you.
Said it before ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Most apps are complete shit whose sole purpose is to track you, show you ads, and sell the information about you.
If I install an app (very rare these days), if it asks for my contacts and my location information, I uninstall it.
If people would understand how much of their privacy they're giving up to asshole marketers, they'd be uninstalling this shit and realizing that most apps provide nothing that a web page can't give you.
I have very few apps on my phone, and have pretty much decided that most mobile apps are something I can live without.
I simply refuse to use location services, because the majority of that isn't going to benefit me, it's going to benefit some asshole ad company.
Fuck that, fuck apps, and fuck ad companies.
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If people paid for apps instead of wanting them for free, developers wouldn't be forced to fill them with ads.
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It's a win-win, because most apps (99.999%) aren't worth paying for.
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If you can't get paid for your app maybe your app sucks.
People pay for apps all the time.
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>> If people paid for cable channels instead of wanting them for free, studios wouldn't be forced to fill them with ads.
You thought it was quid quo pro but it was me, Profit!
Now put down the kool aid; they will screw the consumer exactly as far as they safely can.
Think back (Score:3, Insightful)
Remember when GPS chips started showing up in cell phones to "improve" our safety with 911 calls? There were a lot of privacy advocates that said it will undermine privacy and anonymity. Surprise! We were right. Now the FCC is mandating all cell phones beginning in 2019 to be privacy adverse. Better start leaving that addictive toy at home if you don't want Big Brother to watch over your shoulder. And pull the fuse on your Big Brother features on that new car too.
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Location services don't usually even use GPS due to battery concerns. And location services APIs are not used for placing 911 calls. This could happen just as easily without a GPS chip.
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The fact that Google is one of the most popular brands among consumers,
and the fact that millions upon millions (perhaps billion(?)) people are on Facebook shows you how little people care to know, and care about privacy!
Despite all the noise about Facebook freely sharing user data with third-parties,
and despite all the noise about Google providing a backdoors to three-letter agencies.
It's a sad state of affairs!
Re:Said it before ... (Score:5, Insightful)
The fact that Google is one of the most popular brands among consumers,
and the fact that millions upon millions (perhaps billion(?)) people are on Facebook shows you how little people care to know, and care about privacy!
Despite all the noise about Facebook freely sharing user data with third-parties,
and despite all the noise about Google providing a backdoors to three-letter agencies.
It's a sad state of affairs!
I think most people don't know about the privacy issues- and many that do feel like they "have to be on facebook to stay relevant" (ridiculous belief, but one shared by many). Honestly, you can say it is the user's fault, and in large part it is (but really, do even relatively informed people know how often data is shared about them and who is sharing data about them?)
I bet each and everyone of us has had data about us shared WITHOUT us knowing.
A lot of businesses in the IT sector would hate this, but I would propose making it illegal to sell data on a individual WITHOUT them giving explicit consent EACH TIME. So, just having a EULA saying "we're going to sell your data and you give consent" is not enough. If Facebook want to sell information to Wells Fargo- they have to get your permission first.
I think we could cut back on 90% of privacy violations with such a ruling.
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I think we could cut back on 90% of privacy violations with such a ruling.
For a very specific definition of a privacy violation.
From my experience, the vast majority of privacy violation are the result of individual actions, usually from people close to you. For example someone may publish a picture of you without your consent, revenge porn is an extreme example but even good friends can do it to you. They can send stuff to the wrong person(s), use public means of communication, get infected with all kinds of malware, etc...
It also won't help with security related issues. Ashley
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And finally, a lot of actors don't actually sell your data, they use it to send you targeted ads without letting advertisers know about you.
Honestly, although I always turn this option off. I don't have as much of problem with this. The problem I have with this is that it means they're storing that information which means someone hacking could steal it.
I have a problem with companies SHARING or SELLING data. You know (or should know) that if you work with a company that they could (and will) store data on you. But, you should have control over any third party that might receive the data from them. I don't think it should be legal for them
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I think most people don't know about the privacy issues- and many that do feel like they "have to be on facebook to stay relevant" (ridiculous belief, but one shared by many).
Not "stay relevant" perhaps, but rather "up to date" with their family and other long distance relationships. Sure, you and I probably don't fall into that demographic, but I'd bet that a majority of facebook users do.
I know my family and non-tech friends have FB for that precise reason; it's a way to maintain social connections that they otherwise wouldn't have.
Re:Said it before ... (Score:4, Interesting)
Most apps are complete shit whose sole purpose is to track you, show you ads, and sell the information about you.
If I install an app (very rare these days), if it asks for my contacts and my location information, I uninstall it.
The problem is every big company does this, think about PC games in the 90's vs now, when valve inserted the patch to take control of and steal half-life and CS and 2004. The reality is the internet has put an end to "the market" aka the private power model of western civilization is at odds with privacy and civil rights because the informed members of the public cannot protect themselves from these attacks, these companies control the infrastructure of society. What are you going to do when billion dollar mega corporation releases the new GTA online and because the game is targetted at kids, and those kids are computer illiterate, are going to buy a bugged piece of software that they don't own which is run from servers in Rockstars office? It's much too late young padawan.
Or now that microsoft has released "windows 10" as a service? We would need portal technology or ideological changes, because the only way you could modify the behavior of these companies is if you were physically two blocks away from their offices so theres a genuine fear from the customers storming your offices. You have no power in this relationship, the balance of power is all in favor of those who own the producive capacities of society because technology has overwhelmed any ability to hold them accountable, they can just run roughshod over the indebted masses with impunity.
The milton friedmanite idea we are "free to choose" is naive, the human mind did not evolve to perceive reality (see religion) nor make rational decisions in a high tech free market capitalist society.
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>when valve inserted the patch to take control of and steal half-life and CS and 2004
Are you really alleging that they stole not only their own game, but the whole year of 2004?
You don't seem to get that these games were sold as products, not services. AKA it was a breach of contract, and you're one of those idiots who beleive IP law is not totally corrupt. If you buy a piece of software you should own it. You come off as seriously uneducated about how your world actually works and how corrupt the world is.
An example (Score:5, Interesting)
I recently visited a retirement home, for a community event which was held there. Nobody knew me there, and I didn't talk to or identify myself to anyone, I just listened. Shortly afterwards, I started seeing ads for the retirement home in my Android phone browser. I can only conclude that Google is sharing my GPS location with advertisers...
Hard to prove (Score:2)
I recently visited a retirement home, for a community event which was held there. Nobody knew me there, and I didn't talk to or identify myself to anyone, I just listened. Shortly afterwards, I started seeing ads for the retirement home in my Android phone browser. I can only conclude that Google is sharing my GPS location with advertisers...
That's certainly a reasonable conclusion. On the other hand you don't have the evidence to rule out coincidence. It could be a case of post hoc ergo propter hoc [wikipedia.org] since we humans are wired to see patterns to the point we see them even when they don't actually exist. Don't get me wrong, I think you are likely correct but it's not a certainty.
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Google doesn't need to share your GPS location in order to serve you the proper ad, they just need to know your location. They can serve you that ad without sharing that location to anyone.
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Google doesn't need to share your GPS location in order to serve you the proper ad, they just need to know your location. They can serve you that ad without sharing that location to anyone.
I think that that is acceptable. It's when they share information about me, presumably anonymous or not, that it violates privacy. And it's not like we as consumers have a choice. If you buy a smartphone (which some will say is essential to a lot of jobs nowadays) you choose between Apple and Google; both of whom willingly share your data with lots of other people. Most of which come with apps like Facebook preinstalled as bloatware which tracks your information and sells it even if you don't use the ap
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Re:Hard to prove (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:An example (Score:4, Insightful)
As their most valuable asset, Google has a policy of not selling your personal information. Like you said, Google used the information to match you with the criteria the advertiser is looking for.
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If you've ever given access to WiFi settings or Bluetooth to an app, those can correlate locations without any additional location data. The MAC address of a nearby WiFi access point is possibly in a database. Any app besides Google could share that info with an advertising network. That's not to say that Google isn't using it for their own network by default.
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in Android; Settings, scroll down and tap on the Google option. Select Ads. Enable the “Opt out of Ads Personalization” option
To turn them off when not logged in Chrome or using Firefox, IE, etc
Google Adsettings [google.com]
NOTE: These do not turn off Google tracking
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Or...you know...don't get a Google account. It isn't required to get some value out of their apps.
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That's good advice, but not foolproof. I have Google AdSettings set to Opt out of Ads Personalization; however, they still personalize it. If I google something, I still get ads for that product for weeks afterwards.
Heck, if my wife does a search for something I get ads shown up on my completely separate device with a completely separate account for the things that SHE is looking for. For example, I'm pretty sure I'm getting a Tile for xmas (don't really want one, so I have to feign surprise and exciteme
Re: An example (Score:2)
She could have mastered the art of misdirection; proceed with your display of surprise ( or mock excitement--your choice) when you get a TIE for Christmas
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I recently visited a retirement home, for a community event which was held there. Nobody knew me there, and I didn't talk to or identify myself to anyone, I just listened. Shortly afterwards, I started seeing ads for the retirement home in my Android phone browser. I can only conclude that Google is sharing my GPS location with advertisers...
Possible. A few other possibilities: (1) Google is sharing NON-gps location (as derived from wifi network access, or inferred from emails), or (2) your carrier is sharing your cell-tower-derived location with advertisers.
And my apps judge me harshly (Score:4, Funny)
I was in my home and in bed by 9. My apps are disappoint.
Re:And my apps judge me harshly (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Simple Solution (Score:1)
A few people have monitored what devices are doing while the user is actively using the device and while it is idle. They found that in some cases the device was sending back data anyway. Don't be too sure that you are in control of that OS. Do you have root? Can you uninstall any program? Are you sure that you are in control of your device?
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When you go to install an app, you are told if it tracks your location. No one tries to hide the fact.
You get to choose whether or not to install apps that do this.
Yeah, and when you say don't share location information- it still does, just not with GPS. It uses for example Wifi signals in range to guess where you are.
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Remember when the mathfags at 4chan narrowed the location of a flagpole by studying the flight paths/times of a couple of planes that flew by? Ad groups will pay their teams to write celestial-navigation code if they have to.
They. Will. Find. A. Way.
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Postscript:
My post is not prescribing a defeatist stance. Rather, shotgun your defenses irrespective to known methods. Throw wrenches at the machines you see, then throw everything else for the ones you don't. Surveillance (benign or not) is not a binary condition; the goalpost is control, not extinction.
Google is CONTRIBUTING requiring Location on for (Score:1)
Google is contributing to the problem by requiring location services be turned on for a lot of bluetooth and Wifi Functions.
Google refused to explain this. It's only use is for evil otherwise the user could control the location more granularity.
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Google is contributing to the problem by requiring location services be turned on for a lot of bluetooth and Wifi Functions.
I normally have location services turned off, and nothing on my phone has ever asked for them to be on besides Google Maps. Bluetooth and Wifi work just fine without them.
Political Interference (Score:2)
In the end it doesn't actually matter if Google or Facebook or iOS share the dataset if they are still sharing the ability to use it.
But I left my cell home (Score:2)
How would my apps know where I was?
can't say it enough (Score:2)
people just don't care.
we are the minority of people who care about all these privacy violations.
i hardly have any apps on my phone, just because i can't trust 99.99999% of them, but the rest of the world is happy to install whatever stupid app they find in the store (or even outside the store, found on shady websites).
complain about privacy? never!
but they do complain about battery life (go figure), well guess why your battery life suck.