A new report might make you more skeptical about allowing apps to track your location. Apparently, the user’s phone location data is a huge market, in which information is sold to the highest bidder in market that is estimated to be worth a whopping 12 billion US Dollars.

According to TheNextWeb, there are multiple data mining firms that collect location data along with other identifiers anonymously and then sell it to other companies that require it. The data is bought from various firms including retail foot traffic analysts to even military contractors. Serge Egelman, a researcher at UC Berkeley’s ​​International Computer Science Institute and CTO of AppCensus stated that “apps can circumvent the permission model and gain access to protected data without user consent by using both covert and side channels.”

Similarly, Justin Sherman, a cyber policy fellow at the Duke Tech Policy Lab added that There isn’t a lot of transparency and there is a really, really complex shadowy web of interactions between these companies that’s hard to untangle. They operate on the fact that the general public and people in Washington and other regulatory centers aren’t paying attention to what they’re doing.” The Markup even identified 47 companies that harvest, sell, or trade in mobile phone location data.

Notably, one of the location data brokers Oracle, has a partner that openly advertises data on millions of US individuals. This includes demographics information like personal activities and life preferences. Meanwhile Oracle, Epsilon, and others also explicitly advertises data sharing platforms to thousands of companies.

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A recent pair of patent applications have appeared online. The patents are regarding the rumored Apple location tracking device. These trackers have been labeled as “Apple Tags” or “AirTag” by leakers.

The patent application was filed under “Multi-Interface Transponder Device – Altering Power Modes” and “Multi-Interface Transponder Device – Power Management,” with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent details the basic functionality of this location tracking device, which will work alongside a host smartphone or tablet, as reported by AppleInsider.

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In the patent, the company has placed an emphasis on the functionality of the multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, which includes connectivity, communication with nearby electronics, power affordances, and more. Furthermore, the patents also outline a special power management feature that enables “intelligently boosting beacon transmission depending on determined location and proximity to nearby devices.”

The MIT device is described as a portable and compact gadget with a simple processor, light and motion sensors, radio stack, and power core. Additionally, it can even be attached to various objects like wallets, keys, and IDs. In other words, it’s a small location tracking device that can track down your important belongings or even smartphones when paired with an iPad or iPhone, for instance.

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The US government is facing another major accusation regarding data breach. This time regarding its Secret Service, who have allegedly paid for location data to illegally track down people without legal warrants or court orders.

According to a report from Motherboard, a Freedom of Information Act request has revealed that the Secret Service paid Babel Street to use Locate X, a service that supplies location data from common smartphone applications. Although the document didn’t clearly reveal the exact purpose of the tool the secret service used, but it was reported that it was utilized to create a virtual fence around a region and track devices in that area.

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The contract with Locate X was between the period of September 2018 and September 2018 and had a sum transaction of 2 million US Dollars. It is speculated that the service was only used for just a few cases, however, it is also likely to have been for just one as well. At the moment, it is unknown where Babel Street sources its data from and who it is sold to. Babel nor the Secret Service has yet to comment on the matter.

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Colleges in the US are reportedly testing a method of location tracking in the form of an app that is mandatory to be installed in students’ smartphones. This arrives at a time where digital privacy is a major concern globally and is already seeing backlash.

The report pointed out the University of Missouri, where students “won’t be given a choice” and are required to install SpotterEDU app. This app works via Apple’s iBeacons to broadcast a Bluetooth signal which helps in determining whether a student is actually in a room. According to a different source, however, the app is said to only be compulsory for athletes and it is “completely optional” for students. Although the fact of its mere existence is more questionable to many.

SpotterEDU is currently being tested in a number of different educational bodies including 40 schools as well, according to the founder Rick Carter, also a former college basketball coach which explains its target audience being athletes. Even though US universities’ have stated that it does not include GPS tracking other reports suggest that students can willingly offer GPS coordinates if they choose to do so.

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Similarly, another firm called Degree Analytics, which is a startup, uses Wi-FI signals instead of Bluetooth and is already employed in 19 schools. Another example is FanMaker that provides “loyalty points” to students that stay longer to watch college sports games at the stadium, implemented in 40 schools. This all has led to a stream of criticism and has seen people draw similarities to a digital authoritarian rule that may occur in the future.

The last line is probably a bit of a stretch but it has concerned individuals from digital privacy fields that have also run case studies against Chinese educational bodies that feature a similar tracking method. As of right now, the systems in place do not sound too pervasive and are technically unavoidable but it does seem to suggest that tracking students is a common thing now. What its future ramifications are, that remains to be seen.

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(Via)

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Imagine what would it mean if there was a device that would help you locate friends when going for hiking, hunting, skiing or just decided to go play paintball or any other outdoor activity. Well, you should stop imagining as such a device is already possible and it’s called XQUAD. The XQUAD helps you track up to 30 people at the same time and send messages to them without the need of cellular coverage or a phone.

Unlike other one-on-one GPS trackers, XQUAD has implemented the U-Blox platform and collecting each one of the members’ real-time location information allows you to put everyone in a more comprehensive radar map so that you know who is close to you when you need help, and who is falling behind.

The device can message whoever you need to message without the need for a smartphone and most importantly, without any fees. In addition, you can set up a safe zone when you’ve finally found a place to pitch your camp.

Just set the zone and stay alert when someone crosses the line. Safe Zone will also move along with the leader, if someone falls behind or moving too fast ahead, an alarm will be triggered to notify everyone in the group.

The XQUAD has already reached its funding goal on Indiegogo and the campaign will go on for another 2 weeks so you have time to check it out and back the project. According to the information provided, it is in production as we speak and should be delivered soon. To find out all the information, visit the campaign page.

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