this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2025
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[–] SlippiHUD@lemmy.world 18 points 1 hour ago

If the government had a right to that data they wouldn't need to pay for it, they could just subpoena it. But they don't, so instead they're paying middle men to circumvent our rights.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (3 children)

This appears to suggest that smartphone makers (Apple, Google, etc.) are violating privacy agreements and selling user's private data. Has anyone read their privacy agreements lately?

[–] LordCrom@lemmy.world 3 points 19 minutes ago

Not just phone makers, but the telecom companies. Even if your phone shares no location data, it still checks in with a cell tower constantly. As you move around, so does your registration at a tower. It's accurate to about 2 miles. Match that with your known home address or work address and your location is easily guessed

[–] The_Decryptor@aussie.zone 6 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Anything that polls location data can record it and sell it, probably more apps that sell it than don't.

[–] jve@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Yup. There are dozens of these contractors in our modern surveillance state, and it’s all bought up en masse by the government (and others!) for all sorts of purposes.

Here’s a pretty good book on the subject

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/706321/means-of-control-by-byron-tau/

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 points 51 minutes ago

Privacy policies are irrelevant here. They are picking up unique data as your phone communicates with a cell tower. You can do it with a $15 RTL-SDR receiver.

Get a hundred receivers and you can pinpoint anybody in a city.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 15 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

This will not help sale of smartphones.

[–] jve@lemmy.world 7 points 59 minutes ago

This will not affect sale of smartphones.

FTFY

[–] filcuk@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

It will not hinder it either. People will give up many things before their smartphones.

[–] southrydge@lemdro.id 2 points 1 hour ago

I wish I could but feels like every job requires me to have some sort of app

[–] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago

Ever wondered what it would have been like if the gestapo had real-time awareness of every citizen's location at all times? You're about to find out.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

Next we'll be reading how android has removed the ability to disable location

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 30 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Trump’s executive order just made anyone who is critical of his administrations criminal conduct a terrorist by royal decree. We all should be armed and prepared to defend ourselves and our families against tyranny. They’re “disappearing” people without accountability. The pedo king literally declared war on citizens for not conforming to his dictatorship. The military was instructed to commit war crimes against American citizens yesterday. Am I misreading the situation?

[–] brachiosaurus@mander.xyz 17 points 5 hours ago
[–] portuga@lemmy.world 39 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Is it me or are these ice goons getting fatter everyday? Are they eating the immigrants?

[–] Resonosity@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 4 hours ago

Meal Team 6, Fatstapo, etc.

[–] sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz 49 points 9 hours ago (15 children)

Bro...my weather app is selling my data? 😦

I just wanted up-to-date travel conditions in a convenient widget. My taxes already pay for the meteorology, why do they need to sell my data too??

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 7 points 2 hours ago

My taxes already pay for the meteorology

Yeah, but it got privatized, so now you need to pay more money to a 3rd party to access the services you are already paying money to access.

[–] Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 45 points 9 hours ago (13 children)
[–] sadfitzy@ttrpg.network 7 points 6 hours ago

And useful idiots like /u/alaknar.

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[–] barnaclebutt@lemmy.world 60 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

A proper Linux phone cannot come soon enough

[–] StefanT@lemmy.world 23 points 8 hours ago (4 children)

As much as I would love to have a Linux phone, it will not fully help with privacy. The devices are logged into a cell tower and have a unique ID. This alone makes them trackable.

[–] barnaclebutt@lemmy.world 1 points 37 minutes ago

If the spyware/tracking started and ended at the cell tower it would be a good start. I'm not sure the sensor data would be sent to the tower either. It would just be a general area.

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