this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2024
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Privacy

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Location firm Near describes itself as “The World’s Largest Dataset of People’s Behavior in the Real-World,” with data representing “1.6B people across 44 countries.” Mobilewalla boasts “40+ Countries, 1.9B+ Devices, 50B Mobile Signals Daily, 5+ Years of Data.” X-Mode’s website claims its data covers “25%+ of the Adult U.S. population monthly.”

Fast food restaurants and other businesses have been known to buy location data for advertising purposes down to a person’s steps. For example, in 2018, Burger King ran a promotion in which, if a customer’s phone was within 600 feet of a McDonalds, the Burger King app would let the user buy a Whopper for one cent.

Outlogic (formerly known as X-Mode) offers a license for a location dataset titled “Cyber Security Location data” on Datarade for $240,000 per year. The listing says “Outlogic’s accurate and granular location data is collected directly from a mobile device’s GPS.”

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[–] Rayspekt@kbin.social 14 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I might know the answer beforehand, but still: Does it change anything regarding data collection if I turn off my location on android in the top menu?

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Carrier probably collect and sell your location radio direction and range telemetry from towers. Especially with 5G, high antenna diversity and beam forming automatic gain control can probably locate you better than 10 meters at all times.

What I want to know is, how can I buy this data for people I don't like ?

[–] notannpc@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Shit, that’s easy. It’s in my pocket. They can have that nugget of info for free.

[–] optissima@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 years ago

They're taking it all for free

[–] Kiwi_Girl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] notannpc@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Now that’ll cost ya

[–] MNByChoice@midwest.social 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Always seemed the best way to stop this was to make someone important's data public.

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago

Yes, just look what happen to tge free speech absolutist was refused buying silence from assassination coordinates guy.

[–] doctortofu@reddthat.com 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

And that's why location is always off on all my devices, and gets turned on only when I want to search for something nearby or use navigation. Then it goes back off until the next time I need it.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Your location can still be triangulated from cell towers. But maybe fewer companies have access to that info.

[–] cmeerw@programming.dev 7 points 2 years ago

Also the location of known Wifi networks.

[–] HowMany@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] FriendBesto@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Being the product.