this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2024
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Privacy

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Location firm Near describes itself as “The World’s Largest Dataset of People’s Behavior in the Real-World,” with data representing “1.6B people across 44 countries.” Mobilewalla boasts “40+ Countries, 1.9B+ Devices, 50B Mobile Signals Daily, 5+ Years of Data.” X-Mode’s website claims its data covers “25%+ of the Adult U.S. population monthly.”

Fast food restaurants and other businesses have been known to buy location data for advertising purposes down to a person’s steps. For example, in 2018, Burger King ran a promotion in which, if a customer’s phone was within 600 feet of a McDonalds, the Burger King app would let the user buy a Whopper for one cent.

Outlogic (formerly known as X-Mode) offers a license for a location dataset titled “Cyber Security Location data” on Datarade for $240,000 per year. The listing says “Outlogic’s accurate and granular location data is collected directly from a mobile device’s GPS.”

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[–] Rayspekt@kbin.social 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I might know the answer beforehand, but still: Does it change anything regarding data collection if I turn off my location on android in the top menu?

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Carrier probably collect and sell your location radio direction and range telemetry from towers. Especially with 5G, high antenna diversity and beam forming automatic gain control can probably locate you better than 10 meters at all times.

What I want to know is, how can I buy this data for people I don't like ?

[–] DeathsEmbrace@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Triangulation is actually based on other devices which I never knew.

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes, 3 towers just need to know how strong your signal is, the intersection of 3 circle is where you are.

But for a long time, antenna towers have multiple antenna, so each tower know your azimuth and distance on its own.

There is no escape. This is why ham radio was kneecapped too.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Could you expand on ham being handicapped? I'm not familiar with this.

Thanks!

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

By forbidding encryption so that hans can't carry civil internet. And then by not using bandwidth, ham get confined to smaller and smaller sections of the spectrum.

[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 2 points 10 months ago
[–] MNByChoice@midwest.social 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Always seemed the best way to stop this was to make someone important's data public.

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

Yes, just look what happen to tge free speech absolutist was refused buying silence from assassination coordinates guy.

[–] doctortofu@reddthat.com 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

And that's why location is always off on all my devices, and gets turned on only when I want to search for something nearby or use navigation. Then it goes back off until the next time I need it.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Your location can still be triangulated from cell towers. But maybe fewer companies have access to that info.

[–] cmeerw@programming.dev 8 points 10 months ago

Also the location of known Wifi networks.