Google is mapping your wi-fi access point and the opt-out options stinks

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Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    This is extremely shitty. I'm not renaming my AP just for Google.
  • BasilBasil Nubcaek England Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Thrax wrote:
    I'm not renaming my AP just for Google.
    Yeah, AbrahamLinksys-nomap just doesn't have the same ring to it.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    IcronticHQ-nomap
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Shazbot! :F-nomap
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I'm normally a member of the Google defense force, but this time, bloody ell. I got nothing. This should absolutely be opt-in. Allow people to go to their website, enter an SSID and Lat Long, and call it a day. There's no reason non-hidden, non-stupidnamed SSIDs should be part of Google's for-profit machinations.
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Meh... who cares? The mapping is used to improve location based services. All they're collecting is wifi hotspot names and corresponding coordinates. There's no personal data involved. I've always failed to see why everyone gets so bent out of shape about this. Of all the intrusive and frustrating things Google does, this one shouldn't even move the needle on the rage-o-meter.

    Hell, if you really want to opt-out, just turn off ESSID broadcast.
  • tazzy
    edited November 2011
    So, how do I opt out of Apple's wifi mapping? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhook_Wireless)

    How do I opt out of Microsoft's wifi mapping? (http://www.winrumors.com/microsoft-open-sources-bing-streetside-wi-fi-data-collection-software/)

    My point is that this whole thing is blown out of proportion. If you broadcast an SSID, you are BROADCASTING an SSID. Anyone can associate the location of the SSID with a GPS location.
  • Dan Animal
    edited November 2011
    According to the google blog post you linked to; to opt-out you need to append "_nomap" (not "-nomap" as you have written above).
    I'm not very worried by this as it's just logging the location of active radio transmitters, which can't really be considered private since they're transmitting.
  • jp-w
    edited November 2011
    They are only mapping information that is already publicly available. Nor is it personally identifiable.
  • Duncan Bayne
    edited November 2011
    > Hell, if you really want to opt-out, just turn off ESSID broadcast.

    ^this

    Notice the word 'broadcast'. If you broadcast something, you can scarcely complain about someone mining the data.
  • François
    edited November 2011
    Everyone can map every wifi access point, only Google propose to not do it.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    Thanks. Corrected the "-" to "_"
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I mean, I'm with these guys - they're mapping where your signal exists, not who it's associated with, the traffic transmitted by/to it, or who's connected to it. This is a tempest in a teapot.
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    It's really not a big deal. In fact, this will make it fun for people to come up with original and funny SSIDs.
  • Buba
    edited November 2011
    The other option would be to turn off your SSID broadcast.
  • JhaerJhaer Atlanta, GA New
    edited November 2011
    FBI_SURVEILLANCE_VAN_nomap
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    globes_arent_touching_nomap
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I think it's not the mapping that is new, it's only the opting out? so, this is a step toward privacy, not away...
  • steadyfluxsteadyflux Maryland Member
    edited November 2011
    Yeah, from what I can tell, this has been going on FOREVER, and actually improves your LBS stuff. You can always 'opt out' by just not broadcasting your SSID I think.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    2WIRE244-nomap...ohshi-
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I was discussing it with Ryan, and here's the thing:

    People are acting like you say "I wanna go here" and Google says "wander around the city until you see the wireless network 'lolnuts', and it's somewhere around there."

    That's not anywhere near what's happening. You ask Google "where am I?" and Google checks available, broadcasting signals near you - cellular, GPS, and available wifi - and says "you're about here-ish."

    There is no part of it that gives away your information. And if it did: it's an SSID and a lat/long. What part of that is sensitive information? Your SSID can be retrieved by anybody walking down your street if you broadcast it. You can't request a credit card on the basis of knowing your SSID. Nobody can buy a car in your name by knowing your rough latitude and longitude. And beyond all that, if it gets out, all anybody knows is that *somebody* lives around these coordinates and has a wireless network named 'lolnuts.'

    What's the problem? Who are all these people setting their Social Security numbers as their SSID? Can I live near them?
  • CK
    edited November 2011
    This is a very weak complaint. You're broadcasting the SSID, yet you want that information treated as if it were a secret. If you don't want anyone to use it, don't broadcast it.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I will continue to broadcast "yournuts_myvise_letsparty". I don't need "yournuts_myvise_letsparty_NOMAP". It just takes the fun out of it! Then they would need to get past my crazy 64 character key before I change it, again.
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    and I'll continue to broadcast 'MOT-45' with absolutely no security enabled because my router sucks, and it's not a high enough priority to replace it. sigh...

    at least it's not really powerful enough to be tapped into by our neighbors. (and I watch the MAC connected list to make sure that no one taps in regularly).
  • Sp00nmanSp00nman Ferndale, MI
    edited November 2011
    Don't get me wrong, I could care less if some advertising company has my SSID and location. Oh wait, maybe I do...

    Many of my neighbors have their last name as their SSID. They didn't ask to have this publicly available to people further than 50 feet from their house.

    Ask some of these people if they even know what an SSID is, I'm sure you won't get an answer, just a blank stare. So asking them to change it or turn off broadcasting (inconvenience) would be pointless.

    Yes it's being broadcast, locally, not stored on a server to assist in precise location of anonymous users for the higher purpose of selling advertising. So there are some concerns. Albeit, not any that really bother me personally.

    My SSID is suckitgoogle_mapthis and I will change it right after they map it to ensure their data is inaccurate. HA!
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    I'm with the "not a big deal" people - I've never broadcast my SSID and never will.
  • malc
    I want a 400w set of boots like back in the old cb days..Then my data will get thru...
  • malc
    NO malc the issue was - broadcasting ids...?....Well if the gov of this country gave us the powerboost from milliwatts to watts then all our aps could be named the same and we'd all have a free www,intranet...jst a passing thought
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    WHAT in the name of Torvalds did I just read? SOMEONE KILL IT WITH FIRE PLZKTHX?
  • CantiCanti =/= smalltime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9K18CGEeiI&feature=related Icrontian
    The truths malc has spoken are beyond your comprehension.
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