Message-ID: <752a5974-0668-8e33-e686-156138498eac@ionary.com>
Date: 19 Jul 2022 09:11:41 -0400
From: "Fred Goldstein" <invalid@see.sig.telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Re: Your phone company is (probably) selling your
locations data. Here's how to turn it off
On 7/18/2022 3:18 AM, Bill Horne wrote:
> Your Phone's Location Access Reveals a Lot. Here's How to Turn It Off.
> ...
> ***** Moderator's Note *****
>
> My phone is just a microcomputer that does what it's programmed to
> do. It's not my phone that is selling my location data - it is my
> phone *COMPANY* that is doing it.
>
Not necessarily. While the phone company does know where you are, at
least down to the which-cell level. the phone itself has GPS (required
for E911 location purposes, though you sometimes wonder if the people
behind such rules had other interests in mind), and apps can be given
permission to access it. Then the app itself can communicate with its
servers. The carrier has nothing to do with it. You can, however, go
into the app permissions settings in Android and see which apps have
Location permission, and when (all the time, or only when using it, for
instance).
The Wirecutter article is behind a paywall. You get one or two free
articles a month; being a Times subscriber doesn't cut it either. (The
NY Times also charges extra for its recipes page.)
--
Fred R. Goldstein k1io fred "at" ionary.com
+1 617 795 2701
Message-ID: <F0AFF541-FD4C-444E-9D89-979EA4F39C77@roscom.com>
Date: 15 Jul 2022 21:31:07 -0400
From: "Monty Solomon" <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Writer Gets Locked Out of Novel Draft by Chinese Word
Processor for Illegal Content
The alleged censorship of the online document has sparked outrage over
privacy concerns.
By Passant Rabie
A Chinese software developer is facing backlash after a writer accused
its word processing software WPS of locking her out of a novel draft,
claiming that the document contains "sensitive content." WPS has
denied the claims, but more users have come forward with similar
experiences, raising concerns over the extent of online censorship by
Chinese authorities.
The Chinese novelist, who goes by the alias Mitu, was using WPS, which
is similar to Google Docs, to write up her novel, when she suddenly
could no longer access the document on June 25. Mitu spoke out about
her experience through the Chinese literature forum Lkong, saying that
WPS was "spying on and locking my draft," according to MIT Technology
Review. Her plight was shared through different online platforms, with
several people reporting that the same thing had happened to them
before.
https://gizmodo.com/china-censorship-wps-1849183981
***** Moderator's Note *****
Reports like this one herald the first wave of a new McCarthyism: it
will be a short time from now, while the oligarchs of America conduct
their public opinion studies, and then you will be told that
everything you create must be stored online or must be created with
software that will report your keystrokes to the Thought Police.
America is about to start eating its young; censoring new or different
or "dangerous" writings by those whom are not yet "sophisticated"
enough to toe the party line without complaint.
Of course, right now, it's only in China, so we're safe: the Tall
White Guy on TV told me so.
Bill Horne
Moderator
Message-ID: <20220719152453.1D01B795@telecom2018.csail.mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2022 15:24:53 +0000 (UTC)
From: Bill Horne <malQRMassimilation@gmail.com>
Subject: Verizon Connect GPS Tracking - Monitor and Manage Your
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--
(Please remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Message-ID: <20220719151113.GA28839@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2022 15:11:13 +0000
From: Bill Horne <malQRMassimilation@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Your phone company is (probably) selling your
locations data. Here's how to turn it off
On Tue, Jul 19, 2022 at 09:11:41AM -0400, Fred Goldstein wrote:
> On 7/18/2022 3:18 AM, Bill Horne wrote:
>> Your Phone's Location Access Reveals a Lot. Here's How to Turn It Off.
>> ...
>> ***** Moderator's Note *****
>>
>> My phone is just a microcomputer that does what it's programmed to
>> do. It's not my phone that is selling my location data - it is my
>> phone *COMPANY* that is doing it.
> Not necessarily. While the phone company does know where you are, at
> least down to the which-cell level. the phone itself has GPS (required
> for E911 location purposes, though you sometimes wonder if the people
> behind such rules had other interests in mind), and apps can be given
> permission to access it. Then the app itself can communicate with its
> servers. The carrier has nothing to do with it. You can, however, go
> into the app permissions settings in Android and see which apps have
> Location permission, and when (all the time, or only when using it, for
> instance).
Sorry, I don't buy it. The Olympians heights of the phone company PR
flacks probably resound with oh-so-comforting denials, but I think
they're lying through their teeth.
Do they know which app is keeping track of who visits the abortion
clinic? I don't know - but they chose the phones they sell, and they
chose to allow apps to install with location access on by default, and
they chose to take a cut of the app revenue. They profit from every
single app, and that makes them culpable.
Bill
--
Bill Horne
(Please remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)