I do not understand why we accept such low standards from our governments.<p>A warrant should be required. A warrant should be a cryptosecure signed file from the judge(s). The search tool should validate the signatures. The parameters in question should also be signed across and be the only allowed inputs.<p>Also there should be accountability for the reasonable expectation aspect of warrants. A realistic threshold should be enforced... If an officer or judge starts to dip below the threshold they should be seen as incompetent.
I'm going to propose something crazy. Government shouldn't be allowed to do whatever isn't illegal. Government should not be allowed to do <i>anything</i> unless specifically authorized by law. With respect to electronic surveillance, the methods need to be clearly circumscribed. Anything outside of specific, written guidelines enacted into law should be illegal.
Direct link to the PDF of the manual linked to in the article:<p><a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22273682/fog-data-science-portal-users-manual.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22273682/fog-data-sci...</a><p>Appears the “device IDs” mentioned in the manual are:<p>- Apple’s Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) or<p>- Android’s Advertising Identifier.
I quit carrying my phone out of the house because I knew something like this was coming. I really like it, I look at scenery and actually think about things now. People around me probably think I'm poor as dirt too, so they leave me alone.
Is there a direct download link to the manual?<p>I wish we knew which apps are contributing user location data to the Fog Feed. This is an egregious abuse of user trust, just to make a buck (or fractions of a penny per user).<p>Do Apple and / or the Google Play Store have policies about this? Are the app developers in breach of ToS?
The dumbest part about this is that it’s only _partial_ dragnet surveillance. They’re surveilling a biased sample of the population that installs sketchy apps on their phones. I’m betting there are more Android users in this dataset than the general population. In a way, by using Android you’re actually increasing your chances of false imprisonment.
Some uses that spring to mind. Stalking. Finding out if your significant other is cheating. Finding out who your kid has visiting your house. Finding out who visits the local abortion clinic for shaming, suing, persecuting, and prosecuting.<p>Finding out who visits the local gay clubs. Finding out whose fucking especially when this is valuable blackmail material. Making a list of everyone's religious affiliations because nobody has ever misused THAT before.<p>Keep track of all the abortion clinics and sell lawsuits as a service. Plug in your name and let it tell you if there is anyone you are eligible to collect 10,000 from. Just check a box to have papers sent to your door and theirs and wait while other people harvest their money like they already reaped their privacy.<p>Privacy laws are in need of radical revision and I think I need a new phone. Ideally one that isn't tied to my name and makes voip calls over an out of country vpn.
From the AP article [1]:<p>> It relies on advertising identification numbers, which Fog officials say are culled from popular cellphone apps such as Waze, Starbucks and hundreds of others that target ads based on a person’s movements and interests, according to police emails.<p>> …<p>> On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission sued a data broker called Kochava that, like Fog, provides its clients with advertising IDs that authorities say can easily be used to find where a mobile device user lives, which violates rules the commission enforces. And there are bills before Congress now that, if passed, would regulate the industry.<p>1: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-police-government-surveillance-d395409ef5a8c6c3f6cdab5b1d0e27ef" rel="nofollow">https://apnews.com/article/technology-police-government-surv...</a>
The location tracking industry is getting ready for the real possibility of much stricter legislation coming soon. "Warren proposes sweeping ban on location and health data sales": <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/15/23169718/roe-wade-elizabeth-warren-location-data-tracking-ban-sale-brokers" rel="nofollow">https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/15/23169718/roe-wade-elizabe...</a>
So now the phone is the biggest security problem I have, but all of my data is unlocked with it..<p>I think I need a smart phone without the actual phone part? But sometimes I need remote data.
The rabbit hole goes deep.<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17081684" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17081684</a><p>I remember a HN post from several years ago where a location data provider left an exposed API or web page that allowed anyone to enter a phone number and see the location of the device in real time, but I can't find it now.
I'm sure if the location data (and other related data) for those in power and law enforcement leaders were to be made available to everyone, in an easy to digest and display method...I'm sure some of these data flows would be quickly be made illegal, and quickly shut down. ;-)
Is there a way to figure out how good of a job I'm doing avoiding tracking? I don't even think it would be unlawful to ask someone with access to this tool to look ones own phone up to see how much tracking data they are getting.
When people in the U.S. are arguing about why their govts should need a warrant to spy on peoples phones, people in PRC are required to install an app that literally spies on them.<p>Surveillance is really going in its worst way, if there's not a worse one.
I wonder if this data is being used in trial or being used in warrant applications given that the data can easily be spoofed by providing inaccurate data to these analytics apis?