3 ms·

Don't post reviews all around where you live, then. But, actually the city where I live is a public information... it's on my linkedin profile, etc. I don't ac

Don't post reviews all around where you live, then. But, actually the city where I live is a public information... it's on my linkedin profile, etc. I don't actually care. This tool doesn't seem to be leaking private information of any kind. It's just a way to consolidate existing public information. I think pipl (pipl.com) used to do something like this across accounts, some 10+ years ago.

formerly_proven 6y ago
> This tool doesn't seem to be leaking private information of any kind. It's just a way to consolidate existing public information. That's what's on the tin: "an OSINT tool"
mettamage 6y ago
The first sentence reads as a personal attack. I don’t know if you meant it that way and I don’t mind, but that might explain why you are downvoted. I don’t mind people knowing my location. But most people aren’t as tech/security savvy as the average HN user. I am worried for them. And to second another commenter. OSINT is generally using public information in ways that you’re getting too much info about someone. The coolest example of it are camera reflections or searching dns records about someone (IMO).
- alanfranz 6y ago
  Oh, my. Not a personal attack, for sure. Why? It just seemed a bit obvious to me. If I post a review, with my account, I have been there, right? And if I post a lot of reviews month after month in a certain place, I probably live there, right? This has nothing to do about being tech savvy. It's not about IP geolocation or recognizing user locations from random photos. I understand the OSINT part as well. But the tool claims to be able to extract some info that should not be public (device info, installed apps). But it cannot.
  - mettamage 6y ago
    > Why? > Don't post reviews all around where you live, then. Again, I don't mind, as I know letters without tone of voice are tough to interpret (and you don't seem to be downvoted anymore). But because you're using the imperative (I hope I use that word right), it can come across accusatory. It's possible that some people then imagine a bit of a negative tone of voice in such a statement. I know I do, and then I remind myself that I'm reading letters and that the imagined tone of voice (and whatever it might imply) is purely made up by myself. But some people may not do that. > It just seemed a bit obvious to me. If I post a review, with my account, I have been there, right? And if I post a lot of reviews month after month in a certain place It is obvious. Except for people that it isn't obvious too. I have a lot of family members who wouldn't think about this. They have a hard time using WhatsApp (barely able) or filling out tax forms. I don't see them immediately realizing that filling out Google reviews would leave them exposed in such a way.
    - mam2 6y ago
      Weve got Snowflakes Inc. checking in right there ><
    - alanfranz 6y ago
      > I don't see them immediately realizing that filling out Google reviews would leave them exposed in such a way. I have that kind of family members as well. But they don't leave reviews on Google Maps, because they wouldn't know how to do that or why. And their home address is still on the White Pages, so.... I don't think it's a problem for them. The question is: is there somebody who is a) able to use Google Maps - which implies a rough understanding of how it works - and b) able to leave reviews about a place they have been, that is then unable to realize that a review says "I have been there at that time" and that multiple reviews may suggest the (approximate) place where they live?

formerly_proven 6y ago

> This tool doesn't seem to be leaking private information of any kind. It's just a way to consolidate existing public information. That's what's on the tin: "an OSINT tool"

mettamage 6y ago

The first sentence reads as a personal attack. I don’t know if you meant it that way and I don’t mind, but that might explain why you are downvoted. I don’t mind people knowing my location. But most people aren’t as tech/security savvy as the average HN user. I am worried for them. And to second another commenter. OSINT is generally using public information in ways that you’re getting too much info about someone. The coolest example of it are camera reflections or searching dns records about someone (IMO).

alanfranz 6y ago
Oh, my. Not a personal attack, for sure. Why? It just seemed a bit obvious to me. If I post a review, with my account, I have been there, right? And if I post a lot of reviews month after month in a certain place, I probably live there, right? This has nothing to do about being tech savvy. It's not about IP geolocation or recognizing user locations from random photos. I understand the OSINT part as well. But the tool claims to be able to extract some info that should not be public (device info, installed apps). But it cannot.
- mettamage 6y ago
  > Why? > Don't post reviews all around where you live, then. Again, I don't mind, as I know letters without tone of voice are tough to interpret (and you don't seem to be downvoted anymore). But because you're using the imperative (I hope I use that word right), it can come across accusatory. It's possible that some people then imagine a bit of a negative tone of voice in such a statement. I know I do, and then I remind myself that I'm reading letters and that the imagined tone of voice (and whatever it might imply) is purely made up by myself. But some people may not do that. > It just seemed a bit obvious to me. If I post a review, with my account, I have been there, right? And if I post a lot of reviews month after month in a certain place It is obvious. Except for people that it isn't obvious too. I have a lot of family members who wouldn't think about this. They have a hard time using WhatsApp (barely able) or filling out tax forms. I don't see them immediately realizing that filling out Google reviews would leave them exposed in such a way.
  - mam2 6y ago
    Weve got Snowflakes Inc. checking in right there ><
  - alanfranz 6y ago
    > I don't see them immediately realizing that filling out Google reviews would leave them exposed in such a way. I have that kind of family members as well. But they don't leave reviews on Google Maps, because they wouldn't know how to do that or why. And their home address is still on the White Pages, so.... I don't think it's a problem for them. The question is: is there somebody who is a) able to use Google Maps - which implies a rough understanding of how it works - and b) able to leave reviews about a place they have been, that is then unable to realize that a review says "I have been there at that time" and that multiple reviews may suggest the (approximate) place where they live?