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But doesn't this privacy setting get nullified anyway by companies tracking your device at the cellular network level? I'm not too familiar with it, but regard

But doesn't this privacy setting get nullified anyway by companies tracking your device at the cellular network level? I'm not too familiar with it, but regardless of whether you accept cookies, etc., they are able to ID you through your carrier anyway?

square_usual 6y ago
> tracking your device at the cellular network level I'm not aware of this happening at a large scale outside of the networks themselves, do you have any references for this?
- ceph_ 6y ago
  I believe Verizon was caught inserting super-cookies with an ad tracking identifier. But that method was much easier back when the majority of the web was just http.
- brailsafe 6y ago
  It's been happening at a large scale for a long time as part of the broader fingerprinting initiative by advertising companies. A lot of people think their phones are listening to them, but it's more like they're using heuristics about who you regularly interact with and what they've been searching for. It's disturbing. For example, I recently started getting very frequent and consistent ads across many websites from Warby Parker for the pair of glasses my gf was currently wearing. I asked her, and of course she had been looking to replace them on the same WiFi network.
murermader 6y ago
Yeah, I think you are right. Apps don't need access to GPS, internet or bluetooth to know your location. They can just log what cell tower you are connected to, and use that information to "estimate" your location every time you switch cell towers. I think that method even works in flight mode, as your phone is still listening for cell towers, but just not responding. But I think this info is limited to the OS, and can't be used by apps.
- tinus_hn 6y ago
  Apps can’t ‘just log what cell tower you’re connected to’ because they have no access to that information. There’s no valid reason an app would need that kind of information so it’s just completely unavailable on iPhones and requires special privileges on Android.

square_usual 6y ago

> tracking your device at the cellular network level I'm not aware of this happening at a large scale outside of the networks themselves, do you have any references for this?

ceph_ 6y ago
I believe Verizon was caught inserting super-cookies with an ad tracking identifier. But that method was much easier back when the majority of the web was just http.
brailsafe 6y ago
It's been happening at a large scale for a long time as part of the broader fingerprinting initiative by advertising companies. A lot of people think their phones are listening to them, but it's more like they're using heuristics about who you regularly interact with and what they've been searching for. It's disturbing. For example, I recently started getting very frequent and consistent ads across many websites from Warby Parker for the pair of glasses my gf was currently wearing. I asked her, and of course she had been looking to replace them on the same WiFi network.

murermader 6y ago

Yeah, I think you are right. Apps don't need access to GPS, internet or bluetooth to know your location. They can just log what cell tower you are connected to, and use that information to "estimate" your location every time you switch cell towers. I think that method even works in flight mode, as your phone is still listening for cell towers, but just not responding. But I think this info is limited to the OS, and can't be used by apps.

tinus_hn 6y ago
Apps can’t ‘just log what cell tower you’re connected to’ because they have no access to that information. There’s no valid reason an app would need that kind of information so it’s just completely unavailable on iPhones and requires special privileges on Android.