Does setting a mock location affect Adtech reporting?

Tech and Innovation
1

Anyone know if setting a mock location will push upstream through Adtech? Say I want to look like I visit Boca all day. I set a mock location for there. What geo gets reported and from what sources (cell service vs Google vs SDK vs RTB)

Asked also on:
PG Main

Anonyminity Privacy and Security

2

Main Points:

Points taken from Research and Purple Team Chats

  1. Mock Location and Adtech Reporting:

    • Discussion on whether setting a mock location on a device will push upstream to Adtech.
    • Question on what geo-location data gets reported and from what sources (cell service vs. Google vs. SDK vs. RTB).

  2. Data Acquisition for Testing:

    • Recommendation to buy adtech data over real and spoofed locations to compare the results.

  3. Methods of Location Spoofing:

    • Various methods of spoofing location using tools like Android Studio and apps like FakeTraveler.
    • Discussion on the effectiveness and reliability of these tools.

  4. Google’s Location Accuracy:

    • How Google and other apps handle location data, and the effectiveness of turning off location accuracy.
    • Concerns about Google’s tracking and the inability to fully disable certain tracking methods.

  5. Cellular Data and Tracking:

    • Discussion on how cell tower data is used for tracking and the difficulty of spoofing this data.
    • Insight into the accuracy of cell tower-based location versus GPS and Wi-Fi.

  6. Adtech Data Sources:

    • Breakdown of different layers that contribute to location data (Cellular, Google/Apple, Samsung, SDK, RTB).
    • Testing methods to understand how location data is seeded and reported.

  7. Privacy and Security Concerns:

    • Concerns about the inability to fully trust Google and other tech companies regarding location data.
    • Strategies for minimizing exposure to tracking, such as disabling certain services and using privacy-focused tools.

Linked Resources:

  1. New York Times Article on China, AI, and Microchips - discussing China’s advancements in AI and microchips.
  2. GitHub - mcastillof/FakeTraveler - tool for spoofing location on Android.
  3. Vice Article on Telecoms Selling Location Data - about telecoms selling real-time location data.
  4. Microbilt ID Verify - service that aggregates phone records from various providers.
  5. Comparitech Article on Mobile Phone Tracking - guide on how mobile phones track users and how to mitigate it.
  6. Vanderbilt Study on Google’s Data Collection - detailed study on how Google collects data.
  7. Guide to Cell Phone Location Evidence - guide on understanding cell phone location evidence used in legal contexts.