This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Tell me your country is falling into private sector authoritarianism without telling me your country is falling into private sector authoritarianism.
... why, tho? Is this just an end run around the telcos, who can already get all that information but charge for it and they don't wanna pay?
It's because law enforcement needs way less oversight to search a database through a subscription service than to get phone data from the telcos.
It's a good habit to keep your phone on airplane mode when you can. It also saves on battery.
+1 Phone on airplane mode (eliminates WiFi/BT cellular & GPS tracking)
run physical mobile hotspot device for data (like Calyx hotspot - +2pts of you pick Moxee model to also run rayhunter)
connect to hotspot over WiFi with random MAC addresses (effectively eliminates IMSI tracking)
Enable a solid VPN. (Helps hide location and other usage)
Use chat/text/phone apps over WiFi (eliminates carrier tracking)
+5 for degoogled OS with profiles capability
+3 for Firefox forks like Librewolf or Waterfox with Port Authority and Privacy Badger
EDIT: btw the tech from the article is called SingleTrace...
Does it also disable BT low energy?
BLE would fall under BT, so I would think so. Airplane mode would disable all radios.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39977355
Does it work on it too?
OK, waaay late to a better response.
If you're on Android or an alt OS, you can go into developer options > Bluetooth LE Audio Mode it's defaulted to "Unicast and Broadcast" but I've disabled it.
Maybe that'll help someone!
But can you do it for wearables?
Most wearables I do not believe BLE can be disabled without powering off the device. It's made me conflicted inside bc I just bought A Nothing Watch 3 and use GadgetBridge, but not if its radio signature is (eventually) going to be used for bad... I can see flock implementing this.
I guess the real issue after thinking on it, there's no way to disable the wearable's BLE/BT as those are always on. You might have to power it off to truly disable... According to a few different sites, disabling BT would also disable BLE as is the same chipset, but again that's only your phone.
Even though I use GadgetBridge for my wearable, I think I'm ready to get rid of it all together. I don't need to count my steps after all nor heart rate, etc 😅
Currently, the mobile hotspots from Calyx use the T-Mobile network when available, and fall back to using the Sprint network otherwise.
Doesn't this ultimately just make an IMSI available anyway? Or am I missing something here?
It would only expose the IMSI of the hotspot I believe, since that's a SIM card ID, I believe the IMEI would possibly be exposed, but you could also use a VPN to help. It's been a while, but check this out: https://inv.nadeko.net/RyirQOCUUK8?__goaway_challenge=js-refresh&__goaway_id=47dd286e4b20d07c3f900fbb588ada2e&__goaway_referer=https%3A%2F%2Finv.nadeko.net%2F&t=3
I've been inefficiently and lazily looking for something that can automatically turn the mobile network on and off again once per hour (or other period of time, potentially even randomized times).
I have been turning my phone off every time I go to the grocer because I firsthand verified that they have BLE beacons in use.
You just need the worlds smallest most compact faraday container that you can easily stow it in or special faraday pocketed pants lol
I mean, turning it off does the job and is easier.
And saves battery, don’t forget.
If you're on Android then Tasker can definitely do it. Some manufacturers such as Samsung have similar features built in now too.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a mobile phone?
I have a machine through which people can contact me at any time and set it up in such way that they cannot contact me.
The telcos already offer geotracking as a subscription service to LE orgs tho. It's genuinely the same thing, except this data will be crappier and need more direct municipal involvement.
they’ll have access to it without warrants. that is the entire point.
likely it all goes back to use palantir , im not surprised if this is connect to the palantir AI somehow.
Since when does your telecom know your license plate?
Two ways:
Well that's terrible. Gonna need a Bluetooth broadcast device that send all kinds of bogus info to these things and figure out how to spoof a bluetooth mac address. or a hammer or one of them projectile shooters Americans seem to love.
Although, in an alternate timline where technology is used for good, if these things connected to the various find-my networks to help people locate their stuff, that'd be pretty cool.
For MAC spoofing, just do what Apple does; randomly generate a new MAC every minute or so.
I’ve actually got an app on my phone that makes it announce itself as a whole bunch of devices from TVs to pacemakers to headphones, with a rotating MAC. It’s interesting seeing what tries to connect to it.
For MAC spoofing, just do what Apple does; randomly generate a new MAC every minute or so.
let's hope your headphones and such are doing that too. but realistically, probably they aren't.
Which app is that?
It’s called LightBlue.
Well, thats appalling.
Feudalism v3.0, the fences to keep humans as livestock are going up. Can't leave town without corporate's permission.
Looks like I'm gonna have to dig out my CD collection again. I might even still have my binder from way back when.
And your paper maps
I mean, the real sin here is from the Bluetooth SIG. If you make a radio protocol that broadcasts a unique identifier, it's going to be abused sooner or later.
Google and Apple already know where Bluetooth devices have traveled if an iOS or Android phone using Location Services has come near them at any point.
Other people, like these ALPR guys, can probably harvest a little more data from users of Bluetooth devices, but they aren't going to be the most meaningful harvester, as they have far fewer collection points.
Airplane mode at all times, apparently.
(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Who walks around with their Bluetooth turned on?
Bruh I have people in my life who say "just keep it on, what's the harm?" when it takes 10s extra to connect to their headphones or cars.
Don't listen to them. Turn it off.
I have turned it off 99% of the times these days. My bt headphones also has a wired output and I use it most of the times.
Anybody who uses an Android phone and hasn't dug into their Location Services settings, and hasn't disabled them.
And anyone with iOS on default settings. For WiFi and Bluetooth, the default is that just hitting the toggle in the drawer thingy is "turn off until tomorrow".
Go into developer mode on your android and you can toggle see hidden Bluetooth devices. Anyone can see all the by devices around them same with wifi. Jamming them is a federal offence; Logging them and Scanning them isn't.
Anyone can make a jammer or buy one off of aliexpress at your own expense, I stay away from them even though I've been tempted to build one. Alas, I'd rather read about people who do, than be the one who did.
