←back to thread

Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

(timsh.org)
1957 points apokryptein | 1 comments | 02 Feb 25 17:07 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
jiri ◴[02 Feb 25 17:52 UTC] No.42910289[source]▶
What does happen if I turn off location/gps? I guess that location has to be quite imprecise.
replies(2): >>42910682 #>>42910760 #
spencerflem ◴[02 Feb 25 18:42 UTC] No.42910682[source]▶
Stores have WiFi hotspots with very short range to track you that way while you're in the isle.
replies(1): >>42911193 #
daneel_w ◴[02 Feb 25 19:50 UTC] No.42911193[source]▶
Only if you don't turn WiFi off. To my understanding even the "soft off" option present in iOS stops the phone from beaconing, and just listens in order to collect data for building augmented location services. I don't know what the Androids do. These days both of them also offer randomized MAC address to curtail such tracking.
replies(1): >>42911262 #
1. spencerflem ◴[02 Feb 25 19:59 UTC] No.42911262[source]▶
right, they were saying it's enough just to turn off location though.

tho tbh if i really cared, no phone/battery out/faraday cage is still the gold standard