GPS/location tracking article for the knowledge base

[blacklight447]

Given the amount of common misconceptions around to concept of GPS based location tracking, I think it might be a good idea to add a basic explanation of how GPS works to the knowledgebase, maybe even together with an overview of other ways your location can be traced (e.g. cell tower trianglulation), and how they compare.

[d4rklynk]

Agreed.
We could also suggest to disable wifi scanning and bluetooth scanning as example

[ghost]

Does that have anything to do with GPS? Could be a separate page maybe.

[d4rklynk]

It helps using GPS, that's how Google Maps works iirc

[flawedworld]

Network Location (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular) is a standalone service but can be used in conjunction with GNSS.

[SkewedZeppelin]

Some notes:

• A-GPS has a mode, MSA, where sensor data is sent to the SUPL for location calculation
• AOSP default includes the IMEI with SUPL requests, very likely for access control restrictions
• Qualcomm IZAT location provider does similar to what the (Google) network location provider does, so is an extra entity potentially getting your location
• OMA-DM in userspace and the modem can be used by the carrier to get your location
• carriers were likely absuing the emergency call SUPL override while not in an actual emergency call to get your location
• any preinstalled bloatware that might come on phone that sends your location off
• any user installed apps that sends your location off

[blacklight447]

Thanks for you input, im now starting the research phase for this pagr, and this alrrady helped me out a bunch :).

[flawedworld]

AOSP default includes the IMEI with SUPL requests, very likely for access control restrictions

All production SUPL implementations need to have this per the spec.

Latest GSMA spec: https://www.openmobilealliance.org/release/supl/V2_0_6-20200804-A/OMA-TS-ULP-V2_0_6-20200804-A.pdf

[flawedworld]

There should be a section talking about how carriers will ALWAYS be in a position to obtain coarse location data when using mobile networks, which is just inherent of how they work. There is no workaround for that other than using the phone in aeroplane mode.

[chaysf]

Found this https://ciechanow.ski/gps/ lol

[dngray]

I do think this would be useful, especially as a blog article. Approved privacyguides/privacyguides.org#2006