In the privacy community there are services, programs for private maps use. Some even suggest using the phone without a SIM card (which is quite possible, but you can get into trouble). But I don’t use them, as my geolocation is already tracked by an advanced camera system in my city, by my cell provider via triangulation. What are your thoughts on this? Do you use OpenStreetMap for private navigation?

  • sir_reginald@lemmy.world
    33·
    9 months ago

    what do you mean by you can get into trouble for using a phone without a SIM card? A WiFi only phone is just a smaller tablet.

    And yeah, cities with extensive camera vigilance can be a problem impossible to solve. There’s not much you can do about that other than protest.

    Your cell provider might track you via triangulation, but this is solved by either plane mode, turning your phone off or a Faraday bag. Of course those would render your phone useless (except plane mode and WiFi activated).

    it’s a problem quite difficult to solve right now. if you want a working phone, at least your cell provider will track you. But by using open street maps you don’t give your data to Google too, so you minimize who has it.

    • FarLine99@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      417·
      9 months ago

      get into troubles? f.e. someone from my relatives can call me not in Signal but through regular cellular network, just forgot about this nuance, maybe he/she will need to say something important. also, no mobile internet situation is weird. i use my local maps provider yandex so data is going to one place from all sources, to government, so it does not really matter.

      • sir_reginald@lemmy.world
        21·
        9 months ago

        oh okay, I thought you meant legal trouble. Of course that you won’t be receiving calls without a SIM card.

        There’s a way of receiving calls without a SIM card, and that’s using VOIP numbers, like Twillio. But you’d need to be connected to WiFi of course. So there’s not real solution to this problem other than letting your cell provider track you.

        I suggest using Tor or a VPN (with jurisdiction outside of your local government claws) at all times so even if they get your location, they don’t know what are you doing with your phone.

        Also, Yandex might sell the information to other third parties that your government might not sell to, so I would still use open street maps unless the difference in comfort of using Yandex is a big deal for you.