Data brokers also buy location information directly from mobile carriers but these datasets are compiled using data from their cell towers as opposed to from the apps installed on your smartphone.įor instance, The New York Times (opens in new tab) wrote a piece back in 2019 on a dataset that contained over 50 billion location pings from more than 12 million phones that was purchased from a location data company. Once location data is collected, it’s then sold off to third parties who do some work to anonymize it and then resell it themselves. While some developers use these libraries for advertising or to track this information themselves, sometimes they aren’t aware that the location data of their users is being collected. Just like with all data connected online, smartphone location data is readily available to purchase for legitimate reasons like analytics as well as on the dark web for more nefarious purposes.Īccording to Graham, there are several companies that build libraries for creating smartphone apps where they insert code that records user location data from the apps made using them. Location data is readily available to purchase This is why some security experts recommend turning your Wi-Fi off when you’re out and about, though you could also use a VPN to help mask your real IP address. Your iPhone or Android smartphone repeatedly scans for the location of Wi-Fi access points which can in turn be used to triangulate the location of your device. The most accurate way to track a user’s location in urban areas is by using Wi-Fi. At the same time, GPS can also be used to help determine your location but it is more accurate in areas that are less heavily congested. Even if you’re not making calls or sending messages, your device will periodically “check in'' with cell towers as you go about your day. The moment you turn your smartphone on, it automatically connects to your provider’s network regardless of whether or not you’re interacting with it. By seeing which cell towers you’re closest to, someone trying to track you could use triangulation to determine your location.

My phone location