Topic: Geolocation

A 2006 clip of Joe Biden shows him stating that abortion is a tragedy and should be limited, contrasting with current administration rhetoric. Axios reports that Big Tech companies are concerned about legal requests for user geolocation and communication data if abortion is criminalized in certain states.

South Australia is trialing a home quarantine app that uses facial recognition and geolocation to ensure compliance. Users must respond to random check-in prompts within 15 minutes or face a visit from compliance officers. The app is expected to expand to international travelers soon.

New South Wales, Australia, has introduced a contact-tracing app that requires quarantined individuals to take a selfie within 15 minutes of a ping to verify their location via GPS. Failure to respond to the app's prompts can result in police visits to the individual's home.

The "Off The Grid" (OTG) report features a review of a new flip phone that lacks advanced tracking features. The host notes that using the phone's hotspot causes geolocation services to incorrectly place him in Dallas rather than Austin, providing a layer of privacy. The segment also touches on skepticism regarding the security of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), suggesting they may be compromised by state actors.

A company called GSTV has installed video screens in 18,000 gas stations to track consumer behavior through a system called Octane. By linking credit card transactions, geolocation, and online activity, the system can provide targeted ads and coupons for nearby businesses like Wendy's. The hosts criticize the invasive nature of the technology and the vulnerability of using credit cards for fuel.

Technical issues with geolocation persist when using VPNs, as services like Bing often lock a user's location to a specific country for months regardless of IP changes. Conversely, Twitter serves Italian-language advertisements to logged-in users traveling in Italy, failing to recognize their status as tourists. These inconsistencies suggest that current AI-driven tracking and targeted advertising systems remain frequently ineffective.

A New Zealander fighting for ISIS, Mark Taylor, unwittingly reveals his location in Syria by failing to turn off geolocation on his tweets. The hosts mock the perceived "social media expertise" of ISIS, suggesting they are encouraged to use these platforms specifically because they are easy to track. They reference Hillary Clinton's description of such individuals as "techno-experts" in her book, contrasting it with their actual operational security failures.

An NPR report features divorce lawyer Lee Rosen, who explains how digital records have become a "gold mine" for matrimonial litigation. In North Carolina, private lawyers can issue subpoenas for cellular billing, GPS data, and text messages to prove adultery. The hosts discuss the "Unabomber was right" sentiment regarding the loss of privacy in the digital age and suggest creating fake digital "affairs" to trap prying spouses.

Senator Ron Wyden repeatedly asks General Keith Alexander if the NSA has ever collected or planned to collect American cell site location information in bulk. Alexander refers to a previous unclassified response stating the NSA has no current plans to do so under Section 215. Wyden expresses frustration, claiming the question regarding past plans remains unanswered.

Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack and others express concern over Google's policy of scanning email content for advertising purposes. The hosts argue that this "spying" is a publicity stunt to convince advertisers that Google's targeting is more effective than it actually is. They claim that most internet advertising is a "scam" that fails to produce meaningful results beyond basic geolocation.

Analysis of the live ROV feeds from the Deepwater Horizon site reveals discrepancies in the overlay data. Specifically, the Q4000 Rove 1 camera displays coordinates significantly different from the other three feeds, suggesting it may be filming a different location entirely. The media is criticized for relying on looped YouTube clips rather than investigating these data inconsistencies.