There is no privacy, no security, no practical way to be entirely “untrackable,” except to disconnect completely from your mobile phone and web use. In a bombshell study and detailed post, The New York Times team, Stuart A. Thompson and Charlie Warzel, uncovered how location tracking leaves every single one of us incredibly vulnerable “people from nearly every neighborhood and block, whether they live in mobile homes in Alexandria, Va., or luxury towers in Manhattan.”
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 29: A man checks his cell phone as he waits in line to enter the U.S. … [+]
There are some options to protect yourself, of course, but each of them takes awareness, effort, and repeated effort because the tech companies responsible for protecting our privacy are not necessarily doing a great job. What can you do to increase your location security? Here are a few ideas:
Get a VPN. I have reviewed a bunch of the best services and they can help, but not eliminate your risks. If you take only one step, a VPN can be a great start. Some of the best keep tabs on your apps to keep them from revealing your location among other data points.
For the iOS / iPhone readers here are some steps from Forbes contributor Davey Winder reported on how even the Apple iPhone is spying on you: Your iPhone Is Spying On You — Here’s How To Stop It.
If you use an Android smartphone, go to Settings, Biometrics and Security (depending on your latest operating system and phone), scroll down to Privacy and you should see a Location button that lets you toggle it off or on. You would think that a master switch would cover it, but not true. Just below that is an “App Permissions” item, then Location, and you will see dozens of apps that have access to your location data, by default. You have to go one-by-one to clean up your location profile.
Get a more secure pocket: What is a Faraday Cage?
Your mobile carrier logically knows where you are because it keeps you connected between cell phone towers. This makes sense, but in my mind, they do not need to know my exact route. I can make my cell phone available to the tower as I see fit — and do so in bursts, by using a signal blocking bag known as a Faraday Cage or Bag. The Times piece points out: “Telecom companies were recently caught selling that data to companies that then resold it to bounty hunters, who used it to find phones in real time. The telecom companies have since pledged to stop selling the data, but they still collect it.”
Managing settings and permissions can be a drag. I have been researching simple ways to secure your privacy with wearable items. The idea of a cell phone signal jamming pocket, sleeve, or bag intrigues me. The well-known maker supply site, Adafruit, sells the signal blocking material with instructions on how to make a cell phone blocking pocket.
Or you can buy one of these elegant bags from Silent Pocket or this super inexpensive plastic bag that looks pretty durable from United States Plastic Corporation (no affiliate links).
One more step to lock down your location: Opt out of Advertising (Ad) Personalization
Apple and Google both have options. Within general Settings on an Android phone, choose Google option in the menu, then Ads. You can opt out by clicking the button. For Apple, Settings, Privacy, then Advertising option at the bottom of the screen.
The writers end with a quiet, somber call to action: Congress needs to act.
“The companies profiting from our every move can’t be expected to voluntarily limit their practices. Congress has to step in to protect Americans’ needs as consumers and rights as citizens.
“Until then, one thing is certain: We are living in the world’s most advanced surveillance system. This system wasn’t created deliberately. It was built through the interplay of technological advance and the profit motive. It was built to make money. The greatest trick technology companies ever played was persuading society to surveil itself.”
The lengthy and in-depth study called The Privacy Project is here: Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy. Naturally, they link over to a second post filled with a few helpful tips: Freaked Out? 3 Steps to Protect Your Phone.
If you have been sleeping about your own online security, your mobile phone security, let’s make 2020 the year you wake up, the year I wake up, and seek privacy changes that protect each of us. Again, these steps and tips will not always cover everything about securing your location, but it is a strong start. Let me know if you have any other tips or ideas for stopping or minimizing location tracking.
