Forwarded from #TBOT: Take Back Our Tech
⚡️Apple & Google WiFi Surveillance Can Track Death & Destruction
@takebackourtech
Chances are, if you’ve used Google Maps or Apple Maps, you’ve contributed to one of the biggest surveillance databases in the world.
Known for their accuracy, big tech maps can locate your phone within a few meters and even indoors.
No, these big tech maps aren’t using GPS - they’re using WPS or Wi-Fi positioning system.
These WPS systems collect millions of WiFi networks and tag them with locations.
Researchers in Maryland discovered through a flaw in Apple’s WPS that they could gather at least 2B (2 Billion) WiFi location points by requesting WiFi networks at random.
That’s enough points to cover the world’s populated areas, notably China was nearly empty except for a few thousand points. Looks like even the CCP can’t opt out of this surveillance.
We did the work for them.
When you use Google or Apple maps, your phone will send the nearby WiFi networks along with their signal strength to the WPS. The WPS will look up these networks in a database that has hundreds of millions of networks along with their location. The calculation is then performed on the server for Google location’s service, and on the phone for Apple location’s service - which sent a list of 400 additional WiFi points back.
And this is how you get a precise location for your phone. Any new WiFi networks you scanned are potentially added to the WPS databases.
Apple & Google have made their users the instrument of their surveillance.
And the things you can do with this surveillance are harrowing. The researchers were able to see how many WiFi access points went offline in Gaza due to the constant bombardment that caused the deaths of 40,000 civilians.
Similarly the researchers were able to see the damage from the August 2023 Maui fires, and the emigration of people from Ukraine to escape forced conscription.
Apple, Google and any organization they choose to share this WiFi data will have incredible capabilities. Don’t worry though - because these companies care so much about privacy - they give you a way to opt out.
Solutions
Add _nomap to the end of your WiFi SSID (name), Google and Apple promise not to index Wifi networks ending with those names.
Turn off your WiFi network and use ethernet cable.
Read primary source material here.
Get the latest updates on our mailing list: Above Phone
Above Book: Learn about our privacy laptop: https://abovephone.com/book
Above Suite: Use our privacy services: https://abovephone.com/suite
#TBOT #AbovePhone #WiFi #Surveillance #Big_Tech
—
https://takebackourtech.org
✌️ MORE POSTS | 🗯 CHAT GROUP | 📩 NEWSLETTER
Follow 🫶 @takebackourtech
@takebackourtech
Chances are, if you’ve used Google Maps or Apple Maps, you’ve contributed to one of the biggest surveillance databases in the world.
Known for their accuracy, big tech maps can locate your phone within a few meters and even indoors.
No, these big tech maps aren’t using GPS - they’re using WPS or Wi-Fi positioning system.
These WPS systems collect millions of WiFi networks and tag them with locations.
Researchers in Maryland discovered through a flaw in Apple’s WPS that they could gather at least 2B (2 Billion) WiFi location points by requesting WiFi networks at random.
That’s enough points to cover the world’s populated areas, notably China was nearly empty except for a few thousand points. Looks like even the CCP can’t opt out of this surveillance.
We did the work for them.
When you use Google or Apple maps, your phone will send the nearby WiFi networks along with their signal strength to the WPS. The WPS will look up these networks in a database that has hundreds of millions of networks along with their location. The calculation is then performed on the server for Google location’s service, and on the phone for Apple location’s service - which sent a list of 400 additional WiFi points back.
And this is how you get a precise location for your phone. Any new WiFi networks you scanned are potentially added to the WPS databases.
Apple & Google have made their users the instrument of their surveillance.
And the things you can do with this surveillance are harrowing. The researchers were able to see how many WiFi access points went offline in Gaza due to the constant bombardment that caused the deaths of 40,000 civilians.
Similarly the researchers were able to see the damage from the August 2023 Maui fires, and the emigration of people from Ukraine to escape forced conscription.
Apple, Google and any organization they choose to share this WiFi data will have incredible capabilities. Don’t worry though - because these companies care so much about privacy - they give you a way to opt out.
Solutions
Add _nomap to the end of your WiFi SSID (name), Google and Apple promise not to index Wifi networks ending with those names.
Turn off your WiFi network and use ethernet cable.
Read primary source material here.
Get the latest updates on our mailing list: Above Phone
Above Book: Learn about our privacy laptop: https://abovephone.com/book
Above Suite: Use our privacy services: https://abovephone.com/suite
#TBOT #AbovePhone #WiFi #Surveillance #Big_Tech
—
https://takebackourtech.org
✌️ MORE POSTS | 🗯 CHAT GROUP | 📩 NEWSLETTER
Follow 🫶 @takebackourtech
Substack
Google & Apple Steal 2B+ Wifi Access Points
Chances are, if you’ve used Google Maps or Apple Maps, you’ve contributed to one of the biggest surveillance databases in the world. Known for their accuracy, big tech maps can locate your phone within a few meters and even indoors. No, these big tech maps…
Forwarded from #TBOT: Take Back Our Tech
⚡️Microsoft Recall, Stealing Everything You've Ever Typed
@takebackourtech
Microsoft recently introduced an upcoming feature of Windows 11 that will be rolled out soon with Copilot+ called Recall. If you’re a current user of Windows 11, this isn’t active for you yet, but it will be in the near future.
As a brief summary, Recall will continuously take screenshots of your PC every 5 seconds, creating a searchable database of your activity. It will also store everything you have ever typed in plain text, yes, including sensitive passwords that are copy and pasted.
We recommend you do everything you can to avoid Recall when it is implemented, and to disable it in Windows 11 in the near future.
In case you’re not convinced yet, you may want to switch to an open source OS, like Linux, in order to avoid 0 day exploits and privacy breaches that will likely occur on Windows due to Recall.
Recall is a PR Nightmare
Unfortunately, Recall is one of the many problematic new implementations of AI in mainstream operating systems.
Similar functionality will be coming to Apple, considering they have opted to work with Google’s Gemini AI and will soon implement invasive, AI based scanning of the private data located in the unencrypted messages on your smartphone and PC in the near future.
In case you are not convinced yet, here are some more reasons to avoid Recall:
Cybersec: Microsoft claims that Copilot+ runtime processes data locally, but because its database is stored in plain text, it will make any Windows based PC vulnerable to remote access by hackers.
One practical use case of this would be an InfoStealer trojan, which steals usernames and passwords and can easily be modified to support Recall.
User Reaction: Recall has rightly been met with overwhelmingly negative reactions from Windows users, who naturally fear the coming privacy breaches and severe potential for misuse by bad actors. For any Windows users still out there: this was inevitable.
Implementation: Recall is, quite frankly, a PR nightmare unfolding in real time for Microsoft. To make matters worse, the feature will come enabled by default, despite Microsoft calling it an “optional feature."
Legal Jargon Manipulation: Microsoft's vague, misleading descriptions of Recall are decidedly sketchy. They continue to use terms like "snapshots" instead of "screenshots," in order to cover their tracks and downplay Recall’s intrusiveness.
Update as of 6/13/24: Because of recent public backlash, Microsoft is now making Recall an optional feature that you have to willingly opt-in to, instead of being enabled by default. They are also adding encryption via Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security and are encrypting the search engine database.
Still, we wanted to capture the previous stages of development before Microsoft could sweep the roll-out of this extremely problematic feature under the rug.
Whether or not this convinces you to feel safe and secure while handing over your private data to Recall and Windows, is another story.
#TBOT #Recall #Microsoft #Windows11 #dataprivacy #Surveillance #Big_Tech
Primary sources here.
Get the latest updates on our mailing list: Above Phone
Above Book: Learn about our privacy laptop: https://abovephone.com/book
Above Suite: Use our privacy services: https://abovephone.com/suite
—
✌️ MORE POSTS | 🗯 CHAT GROUP | 📩 NEWSLETTER
Follow 🫶 @takebackourtech
@takebackourtech
Microsoft recently introduced an upcoming feature of Windows 11 that will be rolled out soon with Copilot+ called Recall. If you’re a current user of Windows 11, this isn’t active for you yet, but it will be in the near future.
As a brief summary, Recall will continuously take screenshots of your PC every 5 seconds, creating a searchable database of your activity. It will also store everything you have ever typed in plain text, yes, including sensitive passwords that are copy and pasted.
We recommend you do everything you can to avoid Recall when it is implemented, and to disable it in Windows 11 in the near future.
In case you’re not convinced yet, you may want to switch to an open source OS, like Linux, in order to avoid 0 day exploits and privacy breaches that will likely occur on Windows due to Recall.
Recall is a PR Nightmare
Unfortunately, Recall is one of the many problematic new implementations of AI in mainstream operating systems.
Similar functionality will be coming to Apple, considering they have opted to work with Google’s Gemini AI and will soon implement invasive, AI based scanning of the private data located in the unencrypted messages on your smartphone and PC in the near future.
In case you are not convinced yet, here are some more reasons to avoid Recall:
Cybersec: Microsoft claims that Copilot+ runtime processes data locally, but because its database is stored in plain text, it will make any Windows based PC vulnerable to remote access by hackers.
One practical use case of this would be an InfoStealer trojan, which steals usernames and passwords and can easily be modified to support Recall.
User Reaction: Recall has rightly been met with overwhelmingly negative reactions from Windows users, who naturally fear the coming privacy breaches and severe potential for misuse by bad actors. For any Windows users still out there: this was inevitable.
Implementation: Recall is, quite frankly, a PR nightmare unfolding in real time for Microsoft. To make matters worse, the feature will come enabled by default, despite Microsoft calling it an “optional feature."
Legal Jargon Manipulation: Microsoft's vague, misleading descriptions of Recall are decidedly sketchy. They continue to use terms like "snapshots" instead of "screenshots," in order to cover their tracks and downplay Recall’s intrusiveness.
Update as of 6/13/24: Because of recent public backlash, Microsoft is now making Recall an optional feature that you have to willingly opt-in to, instead of being enabled by default. They are also adding encryption via Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security and are encrypting the search engine database.
Still, we wanted to capture the previous stages of development before Microsoft could sweep the roll-out of this extremely problematic feature under the rug.
Whether or not this convinces you to feel safe and secure while handing over your private data to Recall and Windows, is another story.
#TBOT #Recall #Microsoft #Windows11 #dataprivacy #Surveillance #Big_Tech
Primary sources here.
Get the latest updates on our mailing list: Above Phone
Above Book: Learn about our privacy laptop: https://abovephone.com/book
Above Suite: Use our privacy services: https://abovephone.com/suite
—
✌️ MORE POSTS | 🗯 CHAT GROUP | 📩 NEWSLETTER
Follow 🫶 @takebackourtech
Substack
Microsoft Recall, Stealing Everything You've Ever Typed
Microsoft recently introduced an upcoming feature of Windows 11 that will be rolled out soon with Copilot+ called Recall. If you’re a current user of Windows 11, this isn’t active for you yet, but it will be in the near future. As a brief summary, Recall…