Thanks for this link cloudgazer. I understand that this data is pretty helpful to get the accuracy we demand from our devices.
From the Cult of Mac article:
"None of this is really a problem? except that now, Google and Skyhook Wireless are making their location databases publicly accessible. That means that if someone knows your device?s MAC address, they can use Google Maps to track every location you?ve ever been with a margin of error between 100 and 200 feet.
It's a bit more complicated than that - from the original CNN article that Cult of Mac are referencing.
A Google spokesman would not answer whether Android phones or Street View cars have collected the MAC addresses of phones or computers not acting as Wi-Fi access points--a practice that, if true, would pose a greater privacy risk. Skyhook Wireless CEO Ted Morgan says that his company only collects access point addresses.
It's certainly true that Google don't need to track mobile devices other than their own, since proximity to another mobile device by definition can't be used for locating yourself. Eventually Google will have to stop if they currently are, that they're not denying it may mean that they did it by oversight.
Why is this limited to only smartphones and tablets? Seems very narrow.
So any dumb phone that has geolocation ability (which I think is every phone since the FCC requires it for 911) can send your location to anyone they want without asking for any permission?
I'm sorry but I just can't take anything Al Franken says seriously. He really should have just stuck with comedy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinemagic
Al Franken is still an idiot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macnyc
I'm sorry but that would imply that he was funny...
I wish all you Al Franken haters would just be honest.
There is only three on this thread today, but every time there is a story on Franken, the thread seems to get filled with "he's an idiot" or "he's not even funny" comments, when it's easy to see that the real problem is just politics.
Al Franken is demonstrably "funny" (he made a living at it right?), whether you like the jokes or not. Al Franken also has a high IQ, knows a lot more than the average Senator, and actually researches his opinions and positions and asks a lot of questions. He's also one of those politicians who is a "regular guy" who worked his way up in a blue collar way. There is a lot to admire here even if you don't agree with his politics.
Just say what you mean.
Say something like "I'm an arch capitalist and he's too leftie for me," or "I watch Fox news and believe everything they say so I don't like him."
Saying he's an idiot or unfunny when he's so obviously not, just makes you look like a humourless idiot yourself.
I would not say that a bill isn't necessary for a variety of reasons but there's a distinct and total difference between Apple and Google on this.
.
Good point. I think its pretty obvious that we can trust Apple, but we can't trust Google with our privacy. Google's entire business is based on selling our most private information to anyone with enough money.
I'm sorry but I just can't take anything Al Franken says seriously. He really should have just stuck with comedy.
Not only that, but he didn't really win. He's a fraud. As for this bill, it's totally unnecessary. We have a 1.6 trillion dollar deficit and 14 trillion in debt. Real unemployment is about 17%. And this is what Stuart Smalley is doing?
Can anyone clarify on whether this would require more of Apple than they've already added to the OS? Namely, the triangle/arrow indicator in the status bar and the alert that users can allow/deny access to location?
It sounds like they're just codifying what's already been put in place. thoughts?
Apple is not the problem. Google android and the rest are the problem. I think these senators know that but have to be impartial.
I would not say that a bill isn't necessary for a variety of reasons but there's a distinct and total difference between Apple and Google on this.
Apple's iOS-where-are-you-Gate was a bug, nothing more. It's a scary world when Apple is the only phone/device maker who seems to take privacy more seriously than others.
This bill is absolutely necessary. But it doesn't go far enough! I demand the right to opt out by NOT opting in! And if I've bought the service I demand not to be forced to say yes or don't play.
Go figure - and with the tacit support of groups that, while advocating high profile and emotionally charged victim groups, would love nothing better than to be all up in our private stuff if they could.
Yet another poorly written piece of legislation to give Franken and Blumenthal air time and political cred. Note that the bill is not bipartisan, and most of the supporting orgs are fully enfranchised in the DFL side of the house. These guy need to stop playing politics and start doing some serious bipartisan work. I suppose now we'll get a couple of GOP challengers who will waste our money trying to shoot this down or field a counter bill to emasculate this one.
Seriously, is anyone else tired of the political polarization and shenanigans?
Give me a break... all politics is not evil. Something I seem to get from your diatribe.
I love it. Use it all the time. But the evil snoops are getting wiser to Ghostery. I keep coming across sites that won't work when they are block by it.
If you're going to take that argument then neither did GW Bush, but I bet you weren't complaining about him. Unlike GW who was awarded the presidency on a partisan 5-4 split of the supreme court, the Minnesota supreme court awarded Franken his seat uninamously.
Quote:
We have a 1.6 trillion dollar deficit and 14 trillion in debt. Real unemployment is about 17%. And this is what Stuart Smalley is doing?
Let me try to help you understand how the US Senate works. Senators, particularly junior Senators tend to sponsor legislation that directly follows from their Committee assignments. Al Franken is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law. A random junior Senator, particularly one who isn't on any of the big economic committees isn't going to get anywhere trying to sponsor legislation on the economy.
Seems like he's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing. Holding hearings and proposing legislation that directly relate to Privacy, Technology & the Law.
Apologies for feeding the troll on this off-topic, but the combination of ignorance and arrogance just got to be too much.
That's a different issue as it is carrier side and not publicly available. It's like the difference between law enforcement being able to get a warrant to bug your phone and the old-school analogue mobile networks that any kid with a scanner could eavesdrop on.
Comments
Thanks for this link cloudgazer. I understand that this data is pretty helpful to get the accuracy we demand from our devices.
From the Cult of Mac article:
"None of this is really a problem? except that now, Google and Skyhook Wireless are making their location databases publicly accessible. That means that if someone knows your device?s MAC address, they can use Google Maps to track every location you?ve ever been with a margin of error between 100 and 200 feet.
It's a bit more complicated than that - from the original CNN article that Cult of Mac are referencing.
A Google spokesman would not answer whether Android phones or Street View cars have collected the MAC addresses of phones or computers not acting as Wi-Fi access points--a practice that, if true, would pose a greater privacy risk. Skyhook Wireless CEO Ted Morgan says that his company only collects access point addresses.
It's certainly true that Google don't need to track mobile devices other than their own, since proximity to another mobile device by definition can't be used for locating yourself. Eventually Google will have to stop if they currently are, that they're not denying it may mean that they did it by oversight.
So any dumb phone that has geolocation ability (which I think is every phone since the FCC requires it for 911) can send your location to anyone they want without asking for any permission?
I'm sorry but I just can't take anything Al Franken says seriously. He really should have just stuck with comedy.
Al Franken is still an idiot.
I'm sorry but that would imply that he was funny...
I wish all you Al Franken haters would just be honest.
There is only three on this thread today, but every time there is a story on Franken, the thread seems to get filled with "he's an idiot" or "he's not even funny" comments, when it's easy to see that the real problem is just politics.
Al Franken is demonstrably "funny" (he made a living at it right?), whether you like the jokes or not. Al Franken also has a high IQ, knows a lot more than the average Senator, and actually researches his opinions and positions and asks a lot of questions. He's also one of those politicians who is a "regular guy" who worked his way up in a blue collar way. There is a lot to admire here even if you don't agree with his politics.
Just say what you mean.
Say something like "I'm an arch capitalist and he's too leftie for me," or "I watch Fox news and believe everything they say so I don't like him."
Saying he's an idiot or unfunny when he's so obviously not, just makes you look like a humourless idiot yourself.
I would not say that a bill isn't necessary for a variety of reasons but there's a distinct and total difference between Apple and Google on this.
.
Good point. I think its pretty obvious that we can trust Apple, but we can't trust Google with our privacy. Google's entire business is based on selling our most private information to anyone with enough money.
The Democrats have a history of screwing up whatever they touch. Tell Al to please go away.
I'm sorry but I just can't take anything Al Franken says seriously. He really should have just stuck with comedy.
Not only that, but he didn't really win. He's a fraud. As for this bill, it's totally unnecessary. We have a 1.6 trillion dollar deficit and 14 trillion in debt. Real unemployment is about 17%. And this is what Stuart Smalley is doing?
Can anyone clarify on whether this would require more of Apple than they've already added to the OS? Namely, the triangle/arrow indicator in the status bar and the alert that users can allow/deny access to location?
It sounds like they're just codifying what's already been put in place. thoughts?
Apple is not the problem. Google android and the rest are the problem. I think these senators know that but have to be impartial.
I would not say that a bill isn't necessary for a variety of reasons but there's a distinct and total difference between Apple and Google on this.
Apple's iOS-where-are-you-Gate was a bug, nothing more. It's a scary world when Apple is the only phone/device maker who seems to take privacy more seriously than others.
This bill is absolutely necessary. But it doesn't go far enough! I demand the right to opt out by NOT opting in! And if I've bought the service I demand not to be forced to say yes or don't play.
Go figure - and with the tacit support of groups that, while advocating high profile and emotionally charged victim groups, would love nothing better than to be all up in our private stuff if they could.
Yet another poorly written piece of legislation to give Franken and Blumenthal air time and political cred. Note that the bill is not bipartisan, and most of the supporting orgs are fully enfranchised in the DFL side of the house. These guy need to stop playing politics and start doing some serious bipartisan work. I suppose now we'll get a couple of GOP challengers who will waste our money trying to shoot this down or field a counter bill to emasculate this one.
Seriously, is anyone else tired of the political polarization and shenanigans?
Give me a break... all politics is not evil. Something I seem to get from your diatribe.
Since this would basically destroy Google's reason for existence, I don't see this ever happening.
I agree... but I'd love it to happen and not just to Google
Try Ghostery.
I love it. Use it all the time. But the evil snoops are getting wiser to Ghostery. I keep coming across sites that won't work when they are block by it.
Not only that, but he didn't really win.
If you're going to take that argument then neither did GW Bush, but I bet you weren't complaining about him. Unlike GW who was awarded the presidency on a partisan 5-4 split of the supreme court, the Minnesota supreme court awarded Franken his seat uninamously.
We have a 1.6 trillion dollar deficit and 14 trillion in debt. Real unemployment is about 17%. And this is what Stuart Smalley is doing?
Let me try to help you understand how the US Senate works. Senators, particularly junior Senators tend to sponsor legislation that directly follows from their Committee assignments. Al Franken is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law. A random junior Senator, particularly one who isn't on any of the big economic committees isn't going to get anywhere trying to sponsor legislation on the economy.
Seems like he's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing. Holding hearings and proposing legislation that directly relate to Privacy, Technology & the Law.
Apologies for feeding the troll on this off-topic, but the combination of ignorance and arrogance just got to be too much.
Apparently they haven't read the Patriot Act, which requires mobile device location tracking.
Yep, Patriot Act will supersede this.
Yep, Patriot Act will supersede this.
That's a different issue as it is carrier side and not publicly available. It's like the difference between law enforcement being able to get a warrant to bug your phone and the old-school analogue mobile networks that any kid with a scanner could eavesdrop on.