Topic: Location Data

Allegations that TikTok spied on a Forbes reporter are compared to past scandals involving American companies like HP and AT&T spying on journalists. The hosts point out the irony that Forbes is owned by a Chinese company. They argue that tech companies tracking location data to identify internal leakers is a common, albeit controversial, industry practice.

The Trump administration has reportedly purchased commercial databases of cell phone location data for use by ICE and CBP in immigration enforcement. This data, harvested from ordinary weather and gaming apps, was used to discover a drug smuggling tunnel in Arizona. The hosts advocate for an "Off The Grid" (OTG) lifestyle, recommending basic "flip" phones to minimize data aggregation.

A review of the Alcatel Go Flip 3 praises its call quality but criticizes a software glitch that prevents a clean "click" disconnect. Separately, Apple confirmed that the iPhone 11 Pro continues to collect location data even when tracking is disabled, calling it "desired behavior."

Passive RFID stickers used for highway tolls are powered by induction from overhead readers, raising minor concerns about radiation. Separately, the Foursquare app continues to generate $100 million annually by collecting location data from "zombie apps" left on users' phones.

Accessing Facebook via a mobile browser while in Mexico triggered an immediate influx of Spanish-language marketing emails, despite location services being disabled on the device. This event serves as a catalyst for a discussion on the toxic culture within the No Agenda Facebook group and the invasive nature of social media data sharing.

Analysis of over 11,000 Facebook patent applications reveals ambitions to track user activities like walking, cycling, and skiing using smartphone accelerometers. Other patents describe technology to analyze political discourse and estimate locations without using GPS.

A congresswoman confronts Zuckerberg regarding Facebook's collection of data on individuals who do not have accounts. The hosts discuss "canvas profiling" and the technical reality that users are tracked via hash codes and Wi-Fi data even when location sharing is disabled.

Despite the Cambridge Analytica scandal, many millennial users appear indifferent to deleting their Facebook accounts. A host shares an anecdote about his daughter's refusal to leave the platform, noting that even deleted data sometimes remains accessible or is missing from user archives. The discussion highlights the pervasive nature of location tracking on smartphones, which continues even when specific settings are disabled.