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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: 0.243s | source
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simonw ◴[02 Feb 25 21:19 UTC] No.42911941[source]▶
Anyone understand why an apparently accurate latitude/longitude showed up in one of those traces despite location services not being enabled for the app in question?
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ActorNightly ◴[03 Feb 25 00:36 UTC] No.42913482[source]▶
Phones send out probe requests to get a list of open wifis. If you have a static access point, with a known geo location, software can be running on that point to remember a mac address of the phone from a probe and store it. Thus enabling real time tracking.

Im like 60% sure this is how they figured out who the Bomber was in Austin TX.

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1. rgovostes ◴[05 Feb 25 09:05 UTC] No.42945935[source]▶
Not entirely... "Apple platforms use a randomized Media Access Control address (MAC address) when performing Wi-Fi scans when not associated with a Wi-Fi network." https://support.apple.com/guide/security/privacy-features-co...