XPost: comp.mobile.android, alt.internet.wireless
From: catwheezel@operamail.com
On 2016-02-02, Alice J. wrote:
> pamela wrote in message XnsA5A2F93FA1E7D4AM2@216.151.153.190:
>
>> Without using cars in the street, if my Android device sends its GPS
>> co-ordinates to Google then presumably Google could also see the
>> wireless router's MAC address.
>>
>> I guess Google could make an association between the GPS co-ords and MAC
>> adress and then store the info in its database. Along with the IP
>> address and perhaps SSID for good measure.
>
> You hit the nail on the head.
I can't see how Google would be able to see the MAC or SSID of whichever
access point a smartphone used to get internet access. That information
certainly isn't part of what the router passes up the wire to Google but
I suppose there might be a program running on the smartphone that does
that but what would be the point?
If Google's location service is running on the phone then the SSIDs of
all the access points within range may be reported back to Google - but
they don't need to know which, if any, is being used for internet access
by that device at that moment or at any other time. Likewise the
identifying details of all the cellphone 'towers' within range.
Google will be able to see the IP number of the internet account being
used. That tells them which ISP is being used, and that in turn gives
some very broad geographical information (eg in the UK most ISPs operate
throughout the whole of the UK). The ISP will know which telephone or
cable company provide the physical connection, and that company will
know the particular customer's physical location - because they need to
be able to service the wire or cable being used. So Google would have a
hard time getting a user location from the IP number, and no way of
associating a given internet IP number with a particular SSID.
> I don't know if anyone confirmed this for sure, but it seemed to me
> people are telling us that Google is saving our GPS location and our
> SSID and our SSID MAC address which our Android phones are giving to them.
>
> Even if "our" phone isn't giving these identifications to Google, our
> *neighbor's* phones are giving it to Google!
>
> Two of those three bits of information are unique and unchangeable!
>
> 1. The GPS location is unique in the world & is impossible to change
> 2. The LAN wifi MAC address is unique in the world & is impossible to change
> 3. The SSID may or may not be unique and is easily changed
>
> Is this three-part statement above correct?
1) Change it by moving to somewhere else. Stop telling people where you
are. Don't use a mobile phone of any sort - or just get a cheap one
then throw it away or destroy it as soon as you've finished your
call. (Any cell phone can be traced while it's in use or standby;
triangulation of its signal from nearby cellphone 'towers' can be
done from anywhere by the phone companies, and of course the phone's
own signal can be tracked by anyone within range). In fact, don't
use any telephone at all.
2) The MAC number of the network interface card operating the WiFi
access point is normally hard-coded into the card, but can be
over-ridden by the 'driver' or 'firmware' if the computer operating
the interface card is set up to permit that, or by changing the
network interface card for a different one.
Most people use 'consumer grade' modem/router or access point devices
which don't offer the facility of plugging in a new network interface
card or changing the MAC number published by the device. The
simplest way of getting a new MAC is thus to get a different
modem/router or access point device.
If you don't want to risk anyone associating you with a WiFi access
point, don't have one and don't use any.
3) Yes. The sensible and practical approach is to keep the same SSID
and security settings and password when changing the access point
hardware, so that all the things you want to connect to your network
can still do so without being set up again. Choose an SSID that is
easily spotted by you amongst all those used by your neighbours.
Changing the SSID does nothing to increase your own privacy but does
inconvenience you and anyone else with devices you want to be able to
use your network. It might also get the attention of anyone in the
area paying attention to local access points - especially if they
notice that you've changed the SSID but are still using the same
router.
--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
|
