Who's Tracking You, and Do You Mind?

[Cyberi4n]

Get ready for CBDC…..

 

[ChicknPickn]

And a couple of decades ago people thought Microsoft was the big bad villain? Nope, Google has far exceeded Microsoft and people today don’t seem to care.

The words of Seneca ring true: "The way to be free of the law is to obey it."

As do the final words in Orwell's 1984:

"But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."

 

[Festofish]

There needs to be a way to opt out completely or receive at least half of the money earned from my data.

 

[metalicaster]

Yes, there's much TDPRI John humor when I catch the "I don't do social media." or "I don't do smart phones." mentality. Extra doses of irony and smiles when the mindset carries into anti-Apple or won't give up the Windows 7 mentality says the network and security admin.

I have a colleague as makes me laugh to myself. They don’t trust online banking, and they don’t trust Apple Pay etc. They opted out of it all, got a “dumb” account. They have to stick their bank card into ATMs most days. This, they feel, is ‘safer’.

This was because they use the same password for everything and blamed their last bank when someone logged in and stole money.

Some folks can’t be helped. If someone is stupid enough to write a password on a piece of paper, consider them a risk.

 

[imwjl]

There needs to be a way to opt out completely or receive at least half of the money earned from my data.

That is easy.

1) I already pointed out the modest price I pay for some products, and my platform choices. 2) If you look at financials of some firms, there is no way you will earn at least 1/2. Still, I own some Alphabet stock so have been able to benefit from those not caring or too daft to realize what they piss and crap on you.

Edit: #1 should have been people can move to remote places and substance living. Afghanistan probably has vacant housing. One might want some cameras and fair witnesses where there is otherwise a lack of technology.

 

[imwjl]

I have a colleague as makes me laugh to myself. They don’t trust online banking, and they don’t trust Apple Pay etc. They opted out of it all, got a “dumb” account. They have to stick their bank card into ATMs most days. This, they feel, is ‘safer’.

This was because they use the same password for everything and blamed their last bank when someone logged in and stole money.

Some folks can’t be helped. If someone is stupid enough to write a password on a piece of paper, consider them a risk.

That's hard and complicated. On one hand stupidity of others and simply aiming to beat means and medians got me a decent living. On the other, too often the sorts of fools you mention are scary parts of my day job.

 

[imwjl]

I finally realized the extent of the cell phone’s intrusion into my life when I was over at my daughter’s house one day. I grabbed some Lay’s potato chips and was munching on them while I surfed the ‘net. Lo and behold, up pops an ad for…yep, Lay’s Potato Chips. Since I had never Googled or anything for them, I immediately realized “wtf?” Yep, the phone evidently had monitored me via the camera. I think it’s “Skynet” but not sure. Anyhow, I immediately started denying access to the camera and microphone.

And a couple of decades ago people thought Microsoft was the big bad villain? Nope, Google has far exceeded Microsoft and people today don’t seem to care.

I would google Skynet but don’t want to draw their attention. Oops probably too late.

Yes. Microsoft has become very much a new era business products and enterprise company at once catering to small and large business who must meet compliance standards and help them improve InfoSec.

A once coworker of mine who has worked for other tech giants is on a Microsoft team with an explicit mission to help customers implement good InfoSec and privacy.

To be fair... I volunteer on a team of tech pros who give help to nonprofit community organizations. We administer Google as well as Microsoft tenants. We meet important standards. The gifts, grants and discounts they both have for nonprofits are same as their commercial offerings that are not free.

 

[getbent]

whether you have a phone or not, a computer or not, we are all tracked all the time. even if you pay cash, yup. still being tracked. if you own a home, rent a place, have a legal car, etc... lots of tracking going on. Even folks who make concerted efforts are tracked and it is 'noticed' that you are avoiding contact. So, whatever you need to do to feel 'comfortable' do it, but, real life, no escaping the man. he has been watching for a really really really long time.

 

[fjblair]

I use Waze and Googl to find my way around every where and get directions fed through my radio on the Jeep. Dead in my tracks. I've never been asked to turn on tracking by anyone though. The "Location" question comes up often and most times I refuse unless it's directions.

I only turn on "location" when I need it for directions or something specific, so it's off almost all the time.

 

[Beachbum]

My Wife forced me to take the cell phone she gave me. I'm retired, I have no friends, I'm not looking for any and I never answer the phone unless it's her. Whoever is tracking my phone is mining a dead hole.

 

[1955]

Oh the irony, me posting a YouTube video on rudimentary iPhone privacy. This is just basic stuff, but maybe some folks here haven’t done these quick and easy steps to improve battery life and curtail some of the tracking from different companies.

I believe that many detractors of taking precautions such as these preliminary defaults more than likely sit on the side of the fence that has vested interest in keeping you ignorant, and try to make you feel like you are the problem, and why worry about it, it’s harmless!

 

[ellielo]

I definitely mind if someone tracks my phone. Isn't it against the basic human rights? We have those apps for our kids and use them only in cases of emergency. Tracfone customer service here helps us if they function not very good or the signal is not accurate.

 

[Loquatious]

This clip from Parks and Rec explains a lot. For you that are not familiar with the show, I feel it appeals to all demographics. Season 1 and 2 are not great but it picks up significantly after season 3 and never jumps the shark.

 

[Rick330man]

I turn the TV off
I turn the oven off
I turn the stove burner off
I turn the coffee maker off
I turn the porch light off
I turn the stereo off
I turn the amp modeler off

I turn the amp off

I have a colleague as makes me laugh to myself. They don’t trust online banking, and they don’t trust Apple Pay etc. They opted out of it all, got a “dumb” account. They have to stick their bank card into ATMs most days. This, they feel, is ‘safer’.

This was because they use the same password for everything and blamed their last bank when someone logged in and stole money.

Some folks can’t be helped. If someone is stupid enough to write a password on a piece of paper, consider them a risk.

That's hard and complicated. On one hand stupidity of others and simply aiming to beat means and medians got me a decent living. On the other, too often the sorts of fools you mention are scary parts of my day job.

I'm retired, but my job required security briefings every so often from law enforcement and others who knew quite a bit about this. High security facilities will not let you take your cell phone in. There's a reason for that. I've heard lots of folks in banking, security and other industries that should know better make flat out false/incorrect statements about the level of security their services could provide. On-line banking, cell phones, internet transactions and other modern day conveniences have vulnerabilities that are largely not discussed openly. The most frustrating thing is how rampant the breaches are and how the illegal side of this is pretty much given a pass unless there are explicit threats of bodily harm somehow implicated.

I'll close with two observations: (1) using a "dumb" account may be a lot smarter than people realize and (2) the EU is way ahead of the US in recognizing the importance of privacy in the digital age and doing something about it.