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Every time I see one of these I'm validated in my decision to switch to Apple.
by _bxg1 8y ago
Every time I see one of these I'm validated in my decision to switch to Apple.
- DKnoll 8y agoPersonally I'm not a fan of Apple either (for non-privacy related reasons.) I'm planning to move my device (Pixel 2) to CopperheadOS to eliminate my concerns with Google services.
- dtech 8y agoThis will not protect you, cell phone operators will turn over cellphones connected to nearby towers with a warrant.
- DKnoll 8y agoNot where I come from. Also, my main concern is a foreign company (Google) basically being a private intelligence agency and possessing information on my movements, interests and other things.
- dannyr 8y agoIf you read the article, "Location services may collect and share data with companies like Google and Apple, who in turn may share it with law enforcement agencies. "
- nostromo 8y agoThe article is pointing the finger at Google apps on iOS devices: “But while Apple's location data processing is anonymous, two hard-to-find settings— "Location History" and "Web and App Activity" — allow Google to keep track of everything their users search, and everywhere they go. It affects all Android users, and iPhone or iPad users with apps like Google Maps installed on their device.
- sveme 8y agoIf you switch off GPS for Google Maps on your iPhone, you should be save. Did that and only use Google Maps now to sanity-check Apple Maps traffic conditions.
- jacquesm 8y agoSafe from Google and Apple but not from cell tower triangulation.
- taneq 8y agoWell yeah, you can be followed by a guy in a trenchcoat too, no matter what your phone's privacy settings are.
- vkou 8y agoThe difference between cell tower triangulation, and Google/Apple services tracking your location is small. The difference between cell tower triangulation, and being followed by a guy in a trenchcoat is not. In fact, there's a number of categorical differences between the first two, and the third. 1. The first two are automated. 2. The first two are recorded in a computer-searchable database. 3. The first two, by nature, are capable of scaling to encompass every cell-phone owner. You're not going to get the 'set a spook to follow people' approach to accomplish any one of these.
- jacquesm 8y agoAnd, more importantly, the first two can work after the fact. So you do not have to plan ahead of time that you want to trace someone, you can decide that you want to trace someone six months after the period of interest.
- taneq 8y agoFair points. I was trying to illustrate that there are plenty of ways other than phones which can track people, but as you say, the guy in the trenchcoat doesn't scale. Better examples would be ubiquitous cameras with facial or number plate recognition.
- stunt 8y agoApple is the same. There are a lot of hidden regulations when you work on that scale.
- dannyr 8y agoYup. Both Apple and Google has to give user data to law enforcement when issued a search warrant.
- stunt 8y agobtw, this is the same story even if you use a feature phone. Mobile operators are also sharing data and they have to keep all your data and activities for at least 6 months. Telecommunications is full of these regulations.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- creato 8y agoWhat is "hidden" about this regulation? It was a search warrant approved by a judge. A concerningly broad search warrant, which is now being scrutinized.
- _bxg1 8y ago"But while Apple's location data processing is anonymous, two hard-to-find settings— "Location History" and "Web and App Activity" — allow Google to keep track of everything their users search, and everywhere they go. It affects all Android users, and iPhone or iPad users with apps like Google Maps installed on their device." iOS keeps as much location data local to the device as possible, and anonymizes the rest. In many cases there's nothing for them to give up. Also, you could even use Google apps and just disable background location for those. Because unlike Android, iOS actually respects that choice.
- fucking_tragedy 8y agoYour mobile provider will be just as helpful with law enforcement. They've been selling your location data for a long time.
- tjpnz 8y agoI'm surprised how you don't hear about this information being used in missing persons cases.
- izacus 8y agoIt doesn't bring clicks, outrage or Apple advertisers out of the woods, so it also doesn't get featured on HN. But it's certanly used to track missing persons and kidnappings for a long while now.
- jacquesm 8y agoIt isn't all that useful. A friend has a business that helps LE on missing persons cases and while cell phone tower data can give at least an idea on where a phone was on last it does not say anything about whether that phone was still in the possession of the person that it belonged to and whether or not that is simply where it ran out of juice. It may give a vector for general direction of travel. So while it may be useful it is not a magical device, and more often than not leads to a lot of misdirected effort.
- joking 8y agoIn Spain there was a case of a missing woman, and the authorities tracked phones which moved in the same direction of the victims one to get a reduced list. The attacker disposed of the phone from a bridge after 5 or 10 minutes, but even with that the police have already an small list of suspects and have an start point to investigate. Anyway, they have to wait and they didn't get to trap the attacker until a year later when he tried to attack other victim.
- _bxg1 8y agoTrue, though they only get which cell towers you're connected to, not your actual GPS location.
- newnewpdro 8y agoEvery time I read such misguided comments praising Apple's surveillance devices vs. the competitors I lose a little bit more of what's left of my faith in humanity. Even the supposedly tech literate among us have completely lost sight of the fundamentals.
- rimliu 8y agoI am just curious, what makes you think you are well-informed?
- chosenbreed37 8y ago> I am just curious, what makes you think you are well-informed? I don't it's a claim to be well-informed or even better informed as compared to others. I dare say everyone in the HN is reasonably well informed on a variety of subjects. I think it is a critique of the limitations in reasoning. A person can be well informed and still succumb to flawed reasoning. No matter how well informed one is one can still have blind spots. E.g. an allegiance to a particular device or OS in the hope of being safe from surveillance.
- millstone 8y agoApple's position is that Maps computes as much on-device as possible (reminders, etc), and everything else is produced using rotating randomly-generated identifiers that can't be tied to your Apple ID. What's your vision for a better system?
- dtech 8y agoThis is a law requirement, and Apple complies and delivers the data too. No reason to bash Google over this particular thing.
- izacus 8y agoWhy did you have to make this about corporate cheerleading? Even though Apple shares location information per request as well (e.g. Find My Friends information is going through iCloud and will get shared with the authorities). Are you more validated if the shared data sent to police have a nice little Apple logo on top?
- dcw303 8y agoReading the comments in this subthread made me paranoid enough to check my ios privacy settings. I've blocked access to any shifty apps like Google or Facebook, the only thing that marks any specific place is Significant Locations under System Services. And that has the following text: "Significant Locations are encrypted and cannot be read by Apple."