Nick Dow's blog : HOW TO BLOCK GEO-TRACKING ON YOUR PHONE, TABLET OR LAPTOP?
Protecting your location data
If not now, then in the near future you will certainly be concerned with one important issue, the issue of protection from surveillance on the Internet and your own safety. We are talking about geo-tracking and the inviolability of your personal life.
The question is: How can you access the websites you want, but still block geo-tracking and prevent your cell phone location from being tracked?
It is clear that in order to use the “maps” application, you need to tell the application where you are, because without this data, the application will not be able to give you recommendations. However, many Internet users wonder why so many applications and websites want to know where we are without any particular need? And, more importantly, what is done with this information later?
In many cases, collecting such data is innocent, but it is no secret that if your location data is known anywhere on the Internet, it can become known to the entire world, because we all know how vulnerable the Internet is. Do not forget that in countries with active Internet censorship, the inability to access or, conversely, access to data about the location of an Internet user is a choice between life and death.
- One of the main reasons to avoid geotagging your device on the internet, whether you're using a phone, tablet or computer, is to be able to access streaming TV freely even in places where it's restricted. That's right. There's a whole world of content available online and much of it (like the US Netflix library, unlimited YouTube, BBC, etc.) will only be available to residents or users physically located in that country.
You can access this type of content using a VPN service that uses modern IP masking technologies or using SmartDNS.
Tips for protecting your location information while using the Internet
This useful information gives you an idea of what you can do to make sure your location is not using phone number tracker. Some of the methods on this list are complex, others are simpler, and unfortunately, none of them are guaranteed to be successful because there are always weak points when it comes to digital security.
1. How to block geo-tracking or location sharing
The easiest way to protect your device's location data from being broadcast over the Internet is to block this feature. This is easy to do, most browsers, phones, operating systems and applications give you the option to "allow location services" or "no". To prevent geographical tracking, you simply need to disable this feature. Of course, this will only partially prevent your device's location from being discovered from the outside, because unless you use more serious security methods, your IP address is still known to anyone who wants to know. Despite this, this step is still an important brick in the security wall and is recommended. Once you have taken this first step, you can take the next step and go to your browser settings and select the "do not track" function in the HTTP header and for your outgoing communication. This sign in the header will inform other servers that tracking is prohibited. There is also a drawback: not all connected servers are configured for this header and its use.
2. TOR / Onion Routing
Onion Routing, also known as TOR, allows you to freely use the Internet to anonymously transmit data that is repeatedly encrypted and sent through a multi-layered system of servers and routers. This technology is a great way to keep data secure and anonymous while it is in transit, but it cannot protect the sender or receiver from being hacked or attacked. TOR does not encrypt or hide your location, the location of the device from which the information originates, whether it is a phone, tablet or laptop. Your connection to the TOR network is easily tracked and vulnerable to a number of attacks that can block the flow of data and/or trace its route to the source node and back to your device.
3. Check for DNS leaks
Tip #3 – Don’t neglect security measures, regularly check your DNS service for personal data leaks. DNS or Domain Name Server is a server whose purpose is to improve Internet traffic. Local addresses of devices are converted into IP addresses that other servers and routers can use to send and receive information. A leak occurs when your security measures are insufficient and allow other Internet users to see your information, your IP address, your location and area of interest.
One way to prevent leaks is to clear your cookies. Cookies can sometimes store information that can reveal your location even if you have fixed all DNS leaks. Testing for leaks is easy. There are many sites online that can do this for you for free, just search for “DNS leak test”. Some security protocols, such as a secure VPN, will include DNS leak protection as part of the package, but more on that later. Next, you can check what leaks your browser is allowing on a website called Browserleaks.com, this information can be used to help determine what needs to be changed in your security setup.
4. Turn off cookies
This will not solve all the problems of tracking your location, but it will protect you in some ways. Of course, disabling cookies has a negative side and sometimes makes your web surfing more difficult. Almost all websites and online stores install cookies on your device. They are used to track your interests on the Internet. For example, you often visit the Ikea website. Once cookies are installed on your device, you will receive the best offers from Ikea and easily make online purchases, but you will no longer be anonymous on the Internet, your actions and location can be tracked. All you need to do is go to your browser settings and select the "Turn off cookies / Cookies Off" option.
5. Virtual machines
Your internet connections are not the only threat to your systems. Various files such as PDF, JPEG, DOC, JS, JAR and others can carry executable codes that can disrupt your network, damage your system. A virtual machine acts as a virtual computer. It is an operating system that runs on a remote server and can support applications and other functions that are usually performed by the operating system of a physical computer. Users can log in from their device, switch to the virtual machine, and then use it to open suspicious files. This can be especially useful for people who live in countries with government censorship and may receive provocative files. The downside of virtual machines is that there is still a risk that your connections can be detected.
6. Virtual Machine, the Next Level
For those who really want to use the idea of virtual machines to their advantage, you can boot a live operating system from a USB or other storage device and run it locally. The advantages are obvious: instead of connecting to a virtual machine remotely, where the connection itself is unreliable, a virtual machine does not require an Internet connection. Of course, if you use it to connect to the Internet, the risks start to appear again. A virtual machine will help ensure anonymity and can encrypt data, but connections can still be monitored. If the connection is intercepted, it can be detrimental to your anonymity.
7. Managing Plugins
Browser management is an important part of staying safe online and protecting your location information. This includes managing your plugins, as they are weak points in many security schemes that can allow data to be lost even if many security measures are taken. To be clear, a plugin is a piece of software, they can be installed and run in a different operating environment. Simple examples of plugins are third party functionality added to e-commerce websites, such as social payment capabilities. Hostile plugins include software that aims to steal your information and/or track your interests. In order to maintain a high level of anonymity, we recommend avoiding plugins altogether, although many modern websites cannot function without them. The best solution is to configure your system to always ask for permission to run a plugin, and then be sure to isolate it to run in a sandbox for added security.
8. Blocking JavaScript
JavaScript is a powerful computer language, but it has many vulnerabilities. First, it has the ability to deliver detailed information about you and your device to any server in the world. It collects information such as screen size, computing capabilities, supported plugins, and other bits of data that can be used to ID your digital fingerprint and track your activities across the Internet. The real problem with JavaScript is that almost every website on the Internet uses it, so there is no way to opt out. You simply won’t be able to use the Internet. The best solution is to use software that will check a list of domains that are allowed to run JavaScript on devices, but even that won’t provide a secure personal connection to the Internet.
9. Use anti-tracking software
There are types of software that provide anti-tracking functionality, such as: Ghostery. This IT product allows you to block all types of tracking software from the simplest ones used in control panels, and can even tell you what tracking methods are used by the websites you visit. This software is a great tool for blocking sites that are engaged in tracking, but it does not solve the issues of security and protection of your location data.
Privacy Badger is another software that helps prevent online tracking. It identifies websites that try to track you, remembers them, and blocks repeat attempts. Again, this is a great tool to help prevent loss of privacy, but it does not provide a high level of security.
10. HTTPS Everywhere
By enforcing the HTTPS extension for all outgoing connections, it forces other websites to use SSL encryption when connecting to them.
SSL, Secure Socket Layer, is the simplest form of VPN that uses encryption to enhance privacy and security when connecting consumers to websites, often found when checking e-commerce sites, and many other places around the Internet. In fact, most websites support a level of SSL encryption, but do not always use it to secure connections for various reasons, one of which is slow download speeds. Using HTTPS Everywhere is another brick in the security wall, but it is not a complete solution.
11. Avoid Google tracking
Google is the Internet. Everyone who uses the Internet interacts with Google in some way. We all use it to search for information or websites without thinking about how many ways and reasons the search engine tracks users. Simple add-ons like SearchLinkFix eliminate Google tracking entirely.
12. Turn off Web RTC
Web RTC, or real-time communication, allows a web browser to request real-time information from other browsers and servers. This means that another computer or server can request information about your device, your IP address, and other identifying data. Even with IP masking software, Firefox users can control this setting directly in the browser by going to the about:config setting and setting media.peer.connection to False. Others will need to install software like Ublock Origin to prevent this type of data leak.
13. Digital Prints
It has been mentioned before that certain aspects of online security are flawed because they can be used to create a profile, or digital fingerprint, of you and your devices. There are websites that will check your settings for these signals and generate a report to help you avoid this problem.
14. Social networks
To maintain complete anonymity you should avoid social networks, but for those of us who just want to access them through a secure connection and use it safely, there is one rule to follow. Provide a minimum of information about yourself and your location to prevent geo-location tracking. Avoid using the geo-tagging feature and do not give your real location on social networks.
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