3 ms·

Start by switching to iOS, then for each app she installs make sure location permissions are denied. On the laptop, make sure uBlock Origin is installed.

amelius 9y ago
IP address is sort of equivalent to location. Cellphone tower is similarly equivalent to location.
- Rjevski 9y ago
  The IP can be used to correlate them being together (connected to their home WiFi), but would be unable to track them outside (unless the phones try to connect to “free” public WiFi which is subsidised by ads and will no doubt rat the users out to Facebook). Cell phone towers don’t correlate to IPs at all; the IP layer is added way above all that at the GGSN in the carrier’s network, which doesn’t even know nor care which tower you’re connected to.
  - amelius 9y ago
    > The IP can be used to correlate them being together There you go. Speaking of wifi, by correlating IP address and MAC broadcasts, ad networks could figure out your MAC address. This could also be used to track your location.
    - Rjevski 9y ago
      Correlating that they’re together wouldn’t explain how the ad networks figured out they were outside looking at houses. MAC addresses are never transmitted past the first layer 2 hop, so it would require either a compromised switch/access point (like public WiFi) to be nearby and the phone to connect to it (phones randomise MACs when searching for networks to protect against that).
Zak 9y ago
Start by buying an expensive piece of hardware running a different operating system? Why not just use the app permissions built into Android 6.0+?
- Rjevski 9y ago
  An expensive piece of hardware from a company that has no interest in spying on you. The Android permissions are still not enough; there is a lot of nasty stuff you can do on Android (get low-level cell tower information, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc) that is outright impossible on iOS.
  - thomastjeffery 9y ago
    > that is outright impossible on iOS As far as you know. Since their OS is proprietary, security research is severely hindered, and they are inherently incentivized to hide security flaws.
    - Rjevski 9y ago
      > As far as you know. Still better than leaving the capability right there in the open, no? Also you do understand critical parts of Android like Google Play Services are closed source, and also outright malicious when it comes to a privacy standpoint (it’s right there in the name - Google Play Services). Sure, you can build a privacy-conscious Android from scratch if you’re tech-savvy and have lots of free time and courage. We’re not talking about a tech person here, we’re talking about someone who just wants to sort this problem out and get on with their life. Buying an iPhone solves that problem easily and in little time.
  - Zak 9y ago
    I would be very surprised if OP's girlfriend's ad tracking involved anything sophisticated and nasty. It's probably either IP-based as others have suggested, or using the location permission, which can be turned off.

amelius 9y ago

IP address is sort of equivalent to location. Cellphone tower is similarly equivalent to location.

Rjevski 9y ago
The IP can be used to correlate them being together (connected to their home WiFi), but would be unable to track them outside (unless the phones try to connect to “free” public WiFi which is subsidised by ads and will no doubt rat the users out to Facebook). Cell phone towers don’t correlate to IPs at all; the IP layer is added way above all that at the GGSN in the carrier’s network, which doesn’t even know nor care which tower you’re connected to.
- amelius 9y ago
  > The IP can be used to correlate them being together There you go. Speaking of wifi, by correlating IP address and MAC broadcasts, ad networks could figure out your MAC address. This could also be used to track your location.
  - Rjevski 9y ago
    Correlating that they’re together wouldn’t explain how the ad networks figured out they were outside looking at houses. MAC addresses are never transmitted past the first layer 2 hop, so it would require either a compromised switch/access point (like public WiFi) to be nearby and the phone to connect to it (phones randomise MACs when searching for networks to protect against that).

Zak 9y ago

Start by buying an expensive piece of hardware running a different operating system? Why not just use the app permissions built into Android 6.0+?

Rjevski 9y ago
An expensive piece of hardware from a company that has no interest in spying on you. The Android permissions are still not enough; there is a lot of nasty stuff you can do on Android (get low-level cell tower information, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc) that is outright impossible on iOS.
- thomastjeffery 9y ago
  > that is outright impossible on iOS As far as you know. Since their OS is proprietary, security research is severely hindered, and they are inherently incentivized to hide security flaws.
  - Rjevski 9y ago
    > As far as you know. Still better than leaving the capability right there in the open, no? Also you do understand critical parts of Android like Google Play Services are closed source, and also outright malicious when it comes to a privacy standpoint (it’s right there in the name - Google Play Services). Sure, you can build a privacy-conscious Android from scratch if you’re tech-savvy and have lots of free time and courage. We’re not talking about a tech person here, we’re talking about someone who just wants to sort this problem out and get on with their life. Buying an iPhone solves that problem easily and in little time.
- Zak 9y ago
  I would be very surprised if OP's girlfriend's ad tracking involved anything sophisticated and nasty. It's probably either IP-based as others have suggested, or using the location permission, which can be turned off.