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"Why Your Wi-Fi Router Doubles as an Apple AirTag", 100 comments, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40430603 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40430603 >

"Why Your Wi-Fi Router Doubles as an Apple AirTag", 100 comments, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40430603 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40430603 > In late March 2024, Apple quietly updated its website to note that anyone can opt out of having the location of their wireless access points collected and shared by Apple — by appending “_nomap” to the end of the Wi-Fi access point’s name (SSID). Adding “_nomap” to your Wi-Fi network name also blocks Google from indexing its location.. > "You may not have Apple products, but if you have an access point and someone near you owns an Apple device, your BSSID will be in [Apple’s] database,” he said. “What’s important to note here is that every access point is being tracked, without opting in, whether they run an Apple device or not.. Commonly used travel routers compound the potential privacy risks.. > The Google/Apple opt out (_nomap) needs to be at the end of SSID name. Whereas the Microsoft opt out (_optout) can be anywhere in the SSID name. Therefore, to opt out of both, it would be in this order: SSIDName_optout_nomap

canadiantim 2y ago
Very very useful info, thank you
chevman 2y ago
My guess is the opt out (versus opt in) nature of this could be the seed of a massive class action lawsuit should the right folks get involved :)
- transpute 2y ago
  > Asked about the changes, Apple said they have respected the “_nomap” flag on SSIDs for some time, but that this was only called out in a support article earlier this year. If an SSID flag falls in the forest and no one is told to read it, does it opt out? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_and_no_one_is_around_to_hear_it,_does_it_make_a_sound%3F https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_an...
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- nerdponx 2y ago
  IMO the intrusive nature of the opt-out should be considered as well. It basically requires you to broadcast to your neighbors, friends, family, guests, etc. your personal beliefs about data privacy, and then of course makes you identifiable as a data privacy person by anyone interested in targeting ads at you.
  - salawat 2y ago
    Yep. That's the poison pill. Oh, you don't want to be tracked? Oh well, you have to let us track you so we can treat you "different". The change we should be pushing for is tracking must be opt-in by default. The way God intended. Thou shalt ask for consent before doing shit with another's boxen.
    - rsync 2y ago
      I know of a better response… List of ssids in some popular location and then duplicate it, place-shifted. I’ve been meaning to run this experiment for a while now… Can I broadcast a set of ssids that make, for instance, the mall of America appear on the Golden Gate Bridge? It surprises me that so much investment and dependency is built on leveraging lists of ssids When they are so easily spoofed…
      - sambazi 2y ago
        whatever you have been smoking, i want some PS: you'd also have to spoof the mac addresses and get a lot of clients to report it, but it could cause some confusion
sambazi 2y ago
please don't submit to this nonsense. future you will thank you
- transpute 2y ago
  > this nonsense Because the flags are: (a) not honored by M/G/A for removal from public db? (b) ignored by other parties? (c) treated like telemarketing/spam opt-out lists? (d) ...?

canadiantim 2y ago

Very very useful info, thank you

chevman 2y ago

My guess is the opt out (versus opt in) nature of this could be the seed of a massive class action lawsuit should the right folks get involved :)

transpute 2y ago
> Asked about the changes, Apple said they have respected the “_nomap” flag on SSIDs for some time, but that this was only called out in a support article earlier this year. If an SSID flag falls in the forest and no one is told to read it, does it opt out? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_and_no_one_is_around_to_hear_it,_does_it_make_a_sound%3F https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_an...
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
nerdponx 2y ago
IMO the intrusive nature of the opt-out should be considered as well. It basically requires you to broadcast to your neighbors, friends, family, guests, etc. your personal beliefs about data privacy, and then of course makes you identifiable as a data privacy person by anyone interested in targeting ads at you.
- salawat 2y ago
  Yep. That's the poison pill. Oh, you don't want to be tracked? Oh well, you have to let us track you so we can treat you "different". The change we should be pushing for is tracking must be opt-in by default. The way God intended. Thou shalt ask for consent before doing shit with another's boxen.
  - rsync 2y ago
    I know of a better response… List of ssids in some popular location and then duplicate it, place-shifted. I’ve been meaning to run this experiment for a while now… Can I broadcast a set of ssids that make, for instance, the mall of America appear on the Golden Gate Bridge? It surprises me that so much investment and dependency is built on leveraging lists of ssids When they are so easily spoofed…
    - sambazi 2y ago
      whatever you have been smoking, i want some PS: you'd also have to spoof the mac addresses and get a lot of clients to report it, but it could cause some confusion

sambazi 2y ago

please don't submit to this nonsense. future you will thank you

transpute 2y ago
> this nonsense Because the flags are: (a) not honored by M/G/A for removal from public db? (b) ignored by other parties? (c) treated like telemarketing/spam opt-out lists? (d) ...?