location tracking

[ergo owl]

Relevant wiki article

Thanks alot, that was very informative! Instant level up of my location tracking knowledge.

I am having a blast right now modifying the /etc/geoclue/geoclue.conf file both on the pinephone and on my computer.

Code:

  GNU nano 4.8                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  geoclue.conf                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Modified 
# Configuration file for Geoclue
#
# NOTE: All configurations settings below are mandatory and the defaults are
#       what you see before you edit them. If you want to keep the default
#       values around, copy and comment out the appropriate line(s) before
#       changing them.

# Agent configuration options
[agent]

# Whitelist of desktop IDs (without .desktop part) of all agents we recognise,
# separated by a ';'.
whitelist=geoclue-demo-agent;gnome-shell;io.elementary.desktop.agent-geoclue2

# Network NMEA source configuration options
[network-nmea]

# Fetch location from NMEA sources on local network?
enable=true

# 3G source configuration options
[3g]

# Enable 3G source
enable=true

# CDMA source configuration options
[cdma]

# Enable CDMA source
enable=true

# Modem GPS source configuration options
[modem-gps]

# Enable Modem-GPS source
enable=true

# WiFi source configuration options
[wifi]

# Enable WiFi source
enable=true

# URL to the wifi geolocation service. The key can currenty be anything, just
# needs to be present but that is likely going to change in future.
url=https://location.services.mozilla.com/v1/geolocate?key=geoclue

# To use the Google geolocation service instead of mozilla's, simply uncomment
# this url while changing API_KEY to your Google API key and comment out or
# remove the url above.
#
# WARNING: Please make sure that you are complying with the Google's ToS and
#          policies if you uncomment this:
#
# https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geolocation/policies
#
#url=https://www.googleapis.com/geolocation/v1/geolocate?key=YOUR_KEY

# Submit data to Mozilla Location Service
# If set to true, geoclue will automatically submit network data to Mozilla
# each time it gets a GPS lock.
#
submit-data=false

# URL to submission API of Mozilla Location Service
submission-url=https://location.services.mozilla.com/v1/submit?key=geoclue

# A nickname to submit network data with. A nickname must be 2-32 characters long.
submission-nick=geoclue

# Application configuration options
#
# NOTE: Having an entry here for an application with allowed=true means that
#       geoclue will not ask agent to authorize the application. This is to
#       ensure that applications with built-in authorization mechanism (e.g web
#       browsers) do not have to be bound to agents.
#
#       If your application is denied access to location information and your
#       operating system doesn't provide any mechanism to change that, it is
#       likely a bug in your operation system (or geoclue). The solution is to
#       report the issue with all details, rather than adding your application
#       to this list.
#
# Format:
#
# # Desktop ID of application without .desktop part
# [random-app]
#
# # Allowed access to location information?
# allowed=true|false
#
# # Is application a system component?
# system=true|false
#
# # List of UIDs of all users for which this application is allowed location
# # info access, separate by ';'. Keep it empty for allowing it for all users.
# users=

[gnome-datetime-panel]
allowed=true
system=true
users=

[gnome-color-panel]
allowed=true
system=true
users=

[org.gnome.Shell]
allowed=true
system=true
users=

[io.elementary.desktop.agent-geoclue2]
allowed=true
system=true
users=

[epiphany]
allowed=true
system=false
users=

[firefox]
allowed=true
system=false
users

The file above is from my computer but without making a super close inspection it looks to be very similiar if not, exactly the same on the pinephone.

Regarding the pinephone now, I turned off mobile network to isolate the wifi as a single parameter and changed all the non system application to allowed=false. That did not do anything noticable in regards to Maps. I have no idea what "ephipany" is but it doesnt seem related.

Then I changed

Code:

# Enable WiFi source
enable=false

and now my Maps location shows as another city 20 minutes away from where I actually am instead of previously within 100 meter! This is at least for me, amazing because now I once again feel like I am in control of my personal data.

Maybe Maps as an open source application is not comparable to "Evil Google", maybe the mozilla location services does not gather any user identifiable data even if they share it to third parties. I dont know enough to know for certain. But, at least now im once again back on track to having my own say in the matter and for that im super thankful for the discussion going on here.

---

....maybe I am being overly cautious,  but reading Mozilla's disclosures and disclaimers they use third parties and share
information with them including Google and others, But they tell you they are not responsible for what the third
parties do with that shared information.

I'm not sure that it's possible to be "overly" cautious about these issues ... but not surprised that they share information.

The key question is how much information is passed in addition to location.
IP address, almost certainly, MAC address maybe.  Phone number ?   Don't know.
Name ?  Lots of us out there named mobian, right ?  But how about the name on an email account ?    Again, don't know.

If you check the /etc/geoclue/geoclue.conf file it suggests that at least the name is submitted not as mobian but as:

Code:

# A nickname to submit network data with. A nickname must be 2-32 characters long.

submission-nick=geoclue

Also, my default setting on the pinephone for sharing data with mozilla was:

Code:

# Submit data to Mozilla Location Service

# If set to true, geoclue will automatically submit network data to Mozilla

# each time it gets a GPS lock.

#

submit-data=false

I really respect that it was indeed set to false by default.

EDIT: Im stupid, I took that info from what I posted in my previous post which was terminal data from my linux computer. I dont know anymore if the default setting for submitting network data to Mozilla on the pinephone is set to false. So better check that on your own and dont take my word for it. Would also be nice if someone could confirm what the default setting is or I will have to reinstall everyting again to check.