Google's Web Mapping Can Track Your Phone

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Are you worried about being tracked by Google via the MAC address of your mobile device? No? Well, maybe you should be. :eek:

Only Google and Skyhook Wireless, however, make their location databases linking hardware IDs to street addresses publicly available on the Internet, which raises novel privacy concerns when the IDs they're tracking are mobile. If someone knows your hardware ID, he may be able to find a physical address that the companies associate with you--even if you never intended it to become public.
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All raise hands that are surprised Google, a company who's primary business model is supplying data about their users to third party advertisers, makes some of that data publicly available.

*crickets*
Yea, thought so.
 
Damn Apple and their sneaky storing user locations on their phones!

Oh, we're talking about Google now? My bad.
 
This is a surprise? Really? *conspiracy hat* It's not like anyone with the proper know how or access could determine where you are at, at any given time based on your cell phone signals. Shit, I'm sure if the government ever had any reason so watch you and you had your cell phone on you they would know where you were at, at all times. Cell phone tower triangulation anyone? *conspiracy hat*
 
All seriously though, I really don't care. I don't do anything bad, or need to hide my location from anyone.
 
Every once in awhile, google wants to check to make sure I am who I log on as, and they want to verify by giving them my cell phone number and then they do a call back check. I give them my land line. it seems to do the trick. I don't know how that helps, but it works.
 
Whos "They" uncle... I am confused.

Generic location data does not really bother me much. Though if they are categorically keeping records of MY personal location and movements, that would be an issue.

It doesn't matter if I am NOT doing anything wrong, they should not be able to pull up "Dan" and get a Family Circus map of where I had been all day.
 
locsplitter said:
All seriously though, I really don't care. I don't do anything bad, or need to hide my location from anyone.
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not the point.

google knows more about your than your family and your best friends. and that info is shared with anyone for $.
 
Who ISN'T out to sell your information these days? If you've gotten junk mail before with your name on it, someone sold your info.

Buy a new/new to you aka used car from a dealership - every 3rd party warranty company in the world wants you to get their warranty so you don't have to "pay the high price of auto repair". The dealership just sent me their updated privacy policy and a couple days later I'm getting tons of this 3rd party warranty shit again, as well as coupons for some local chain shops (i.e. Merlin's, Midas, Meineke, Discount Tire, NAPA, etc.)

Way I see it is it's business as usual, just in a different form.
 
SamuraiInBlack said:
Who ISN'T out to sell your information these days? If you've gotten junk mail before with your name on it, someone sold your info.

Buy a new/new to you aka used car from a dealership - every 3rd party warranty company in the world wants you to get their warranty so you don't have to "pay the high price of auto repair". The dealership just sent me their updated privacy policy and a couple days later I'm getting tons of this 3rd party warranty shit again, as well as coupons for some local chain shops (i.e. Merlin's, Midas, Meineke, Discount Tire, NAPA, etc.)

Way I see it is it's business as usual, just in a different form.
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You know you can have the post office filter these types of mails out for you right?
 
Terrible sensationalist article. They are not tracking all wifi/mobile devices, they are only capturing wifi aps (as one would expect, that's the whole point)

In a statement, Google said: "We collect the publicly broadcast MAC addresses of Wi-Fi access points. If a user has enabled wireless tethering on a mobile device, that device becomes a Wi-Fi access point, so the MAC address of such an access point may also be included in the database. Wi-Fi access points that move frequently are not useful for our location database, and we take varius steps to try to discard them."
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Furthermore, if yu have an Android device you are totally safe even if you use it as a mobile hot spot:

Android devices appear to take one privacy-protective step that Apple iPhones do not: they randomize their MAC address when acting as hot spots, using a range of addresses that are marked as unassigned.
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So using mobile devices from the "evil" google are not tracked and are anonymized from others, including sky hook. Wait, how is google the bad one here?
 
locsplitter said:
All seriously though, I really don't care. I don't do anything bad, or need to hide my location from anyone.
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Might want to read "First they came for..."

kllrnohj said:
Terrible sensationalist article. They are not tracking all wifi/mobile devices, they are only capturing wifi aps (as one would expect, that's the whole point)

Furthermore, if yu have an Android device you are totally safe even if you use it as a mobile hot spot:

So using mobile devices from the "evil" google are not tracked and are anonymized from others, including sky hook. Wait, how is google the bad one here?
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This is good to read, but a bit of disclosure to start with would be appreciated. If I have learned one thing it's that people are willing to give an arm and a leg, when it comes to their privacy, if they can save a buck. (Ralph Club/Albertson's Club/Whatever) Be upfront and honest about what you're looking to collect and most people will opt-in anyhow, despite any warnings about privacy concerns.
 
dandirk said:
Whos "They" uncle... I am confused.

Generic location data does not really bother me much. Though if they are categorically keeping records of MY personal location and movements, that would be an issue.

It doesn't matter if I am NOT doing anything wrong, they should not be able to pull up "Dan" and get a Family Circus map of where I had been all day.
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"they" is Google. As far as I know cell # are not out in public 411 in Canada. I don't know , otherwise why they would ask for a cell# to do call back.
 
Where do you view these public lists of MAC address map locations?
 
Uncle said:
"they" is Google. As far as I know cell # are not out in public 411 in Canada. I don't know , otherwise why they would ask for a cell# to do call back.
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Take off your tinfoil hat for a second and think. Some people access their email from areas other than their home (I know, crazy, right?). These people use portable devices called "laptops" or "mobile phones" to access their email. When asked to enter a phone number to verify their identity, most people have a "mobile phone" with them with which to receive phone calls.

I would be very upset if I arrived at work, only to find that I was required to drive back home to use my landline to verify my identity.
 
Time for the EU to give google another slap on the wrist because it seems they didn't get the message the first time and the USA gov. just does not give a fuck.
 
Gnasher said:
Time for the EU to give google another slap on the wrist because it seems they didn't get the message the first time and the USA gov. just does not give a fuck.
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You mean "Time for the EU to steal some more money from a corporation to pay off their own debt"?
 
Gnasher said:
Time for the EU to give google another slap on the wrist because it seems they didn't get the message the first time and the USA gov. just does not give a fuck.
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Yes, how dare Google protect their user's privacy better than everyone else - it's outrageous!

/sarcasm (next time rtfa - or at least read the other comments. Google isn't doing anything wrong here, not even close).
 
Scanning for people's wifi location is protecting them? Earth to kllnorhj!
 
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