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sister_sam 1y ago

A question for well versed phone privacy folks

I have heard contradictory things about location tracking on the phone.

Some say turning off location services stops location being tracked.

Others say that this is not so. Location information is still gathered, even then and even in Airplane mode by the phone baseband computer which is actually in charge of radios. These folks say that turning off Location Services merely stops location information be accessed by otherwise allowed apps. And that if the phone is not connected to wifi or cellular no location information can be phoned home until it is connected again.

So what is the truth of it? I have even seen the same privacy advocates seem to say both of these different things on different occasions.

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YunusAtSea⚡️🌊 1y ago

If the government wants to track your phone, they can do so under any condition unless your phone is in a faraday bag. This is at least what I have come to understand. If someone knows better, please correct me #asknostr

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🇵🇸 whoever loves Digit 1y ago

I would assume if it's in a faraday bag there's still a lot of tracking it can do internally while waiting for an opening

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YunusAtSea⚡️🌊 1y ago

But a faraday bag cuts off all radio communication right? So no phone signal, Bluetooth, WiFi or GPS. Any audio and video would be incomprehesibly muffled by the bag. And the phone isn't being actively used while in the bag. So what info is left to send at that point?

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🇵🇸 whoever loves Digit 1y ago

Audio might be better than you think, maybe good enough to analyze later in the data center, along with accelerometer and gyro and maybe barometer data etc, to try to get some location guesses, or at least an estimated maximum possible distance traveled.

Researchers have shown a laptop microphone can tell what a user is typing on the keyboard (without access to the keyboard input) - never underestimate what a few scraps of data can do

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Catesby 1y ago

turning off location only prevents some installed apps from accessing it, but your mobile provider still knows where you are (even if you’re on a VPN and websites think you’re in Amsterdam) and Apple & Google know your constant location on iPhones and androids no doubt. I would be extremely skeptical of Airplane mode on these devices because who knows? Best way to prevent smartphone from phoning home is a modification like this printer got https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N9wsjroVlu8

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Jordan S 1y ago

Get a faraday bag, or a mobile device that has physical turn off switches like Pinephone, or Purism.

Location tracking is accomplished through various methods such a wifi, pedometer, cell tower pinging, etc.

Even with airplane mode on.