Topic: Location Tracking

Google faces a class-action lawsuit for tracking children's online behavior without parental consent and reaches a $20 million settlement with the state of Indiana over deceptive location tracking. Despite users opting out of "Location History," the company was found to still track their movements, leading to accusations of intrusive and dishonest practices.

Google agreed to pay $85 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Arizona Attorney General over deceptive location tracking practices. The investigation found that Google continued to track users even when "location history" was turned off, using the data to sell targeted advertisements. This marks one of the largest per-capita settlements for consumer fraud in Arizona history.

Anderson Cooper questioned Bill Gates on conspiracy theories regarding microchips and location tracking in vaccines. Gates dismissed these claims, stating he has no interest in tracking people's locations. The discussion references controversial polio vaccination campaigns in India and the Philippines, suggesting the Gates Foundation's track record is more complicated than presented on CNN.

The National Security Agency (NSA) issued a warning clarifying that turning off "location services" on a smartphone does not disable the GPS or prevent apps from tracking a user's movements. The agency noted that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals can still be used to determine a device's location even when primary tracking is disabled. This advisory highlights the persistent surveillance capabilities inherent in modern mobile devices.

Facebook issued a blog post addressing new privacy features in iOS 13 and Android 10 that alert users when apps track their location in the background. The company argues that location tracking is necessary for features like "Find Wi-Fi" and community safety. Privacy advocates recommend deleting the app to prevent precise tracking of daily movements and habits.

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.

A discussion on mobile privacy highlights that Android devices may continue tracking location even when powered off unless the battery is physically removed. The hosts debate the effectiveness of turning phones off to prevent surveillance pings.

Senator Josh Hawley questioned a Google representative regarding the company's practice of tracking user location even when "Location History" is turned off. The testimony revealed that Android phones send location data to Google hundreds of times per day via Wi-Fi scanning and cell tower data. Google defends the practice as necessary for core device functionality, while critics argue users cannot meaningfully opt out.

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.

Retailers are increasingly using sophisticated Wi-Fi beaconing systems to track customers' movements within stores down to specific aisles. This data is then used to serve targeted advertisements, such as toothpaste ads after a customer visits the dental care section, leading to a recommendation to disable Wi-Fi when in public spaces.

A report highlights how commercial companies can track phone locations down to the front door using carrier data. Testing with an older Nokia E71 suggests that legacy devices or specific privacy measures like Faraday cabinets may successfully block this type of third-party surveillance.

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.