Police can track your location via Google

[Molotov]

Police have increased the use of "geofences" when investigating even non-violent crimes. They can ask Goodle for any history of any users location within a specific area at a certain time. This can lead to innocent people coming under scrutiny even though they were just passing by.

How do you protect yourself? Go to Google account settings, turn off location sharing, then clear your tracking history, which can go back years.

Here is a cautionary tale about police questioning innocent bystanders: Google tracked his bike ride past a burglarized home. That made him a suspect.

[some seeing eye]

Phone has geo, from its own GPS or derived location. The carriers have access to that. Apps can ask you for access to that. App stores regulate honesty in that.

Many to most apps ask to access location data and then they sell it. Personally I think the asking price for location minutia will not pan out in revenue for the buyers.

I'm pretty sure Google and Apple require a warrant to disclose location data. Hopefully the carriers require a warrant.

But when you think about it, location data would be very useful in COVID-19 contact tracking. If you were contagious, it would be simple to text all the people you were near in enclosed spaces. Wouldn't be surprised if that soon becomes a tool.

Of course what is needed is robust privacy legislation.

[Captain Goddammit]

Or shut your phone off. That actually works.

[some seeing eye]

Or shut your phone off. That actually works.

NSA stuffs. The power switch generates a hardware interrupt interpreted by the firmware, which of course is always firm.

[Captain Goddammit]

Not true buckaroo.
No power, no location. You can even just run the battery dead if you wanna be that sure. Usually doesn’t take long.