Above Phone offers 'de-Googled' phones to combat surveillance, providing up to $300 off. Google tracks users via Sensorvault, utilizing geofence warrants for law enforcement, raising privacy concerns. Despite Google's efforts to save some location data, the need for privacy solutions persists. Above Phone promotes user-friendly alternatives to safeguard privacy from pervasive tracking and surveillance, encouraging users to attend a free privacy webinar.
January 6th Arrests: Inside Google’s Mass Location Surveillance System Dear readers: It is rare that I have the opportunity to introduce a sponsor that I wholeheartedly believe in. Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:38:43 GMT https://vigilantfox.news/p/january-6th-arrests-inside-googles Dear readers: It is rare that I have the opportunity to introduce a sponsor that I wholeheartedly believe in. One of the biggest threats to our freedoms and liberties is surveillance against our will. Our phones are spying on us 24/7 , and it’s nearly impossible to escape this reality unless you’re a high-end tech geek.
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Few Americans realize that their phone transmits location data to Google's servers every five minutes . Fewer still understand this data was fed into Sensorvault, the largest location surveillance system ever known. This sophisticated tracking infrastructure played a pivotal role in identifying participants in the January 6th Capitol events , showcasing both its power and raising some truly alarming privacy concerns.
Sensorvault is far more than a simple database. It's a comprehensive surveillance platform that integrates multiple tracking technologies. The system combines GPS coordinates, nearby WiFi networks, Bluetooth signals, cell tower connections, and even device motion patterns to create detailed location histories of hundreds of millions of users .
Why gather this data? To fulfill Geofence warrants, which make it easy for investigators to find suspects . They pick a date, time, and place of interest on the map, and then all of the phones and associated accounts can be retrieved.
The January 6th protests marked an unprecedented deployment of this technology. Federal investigators submitted what may be the largest geofence warrant in history , demanding data on every device within the Capitol building during a four-and-a-half-hour window .
Image: Shutterstock / Lev Radin
The precision of Sensorvault proved remarkable – recording an average of 22 distinct location points per suspect inside the building, accurate enough to track movement between floors.
At the end of 2023, facing backlash - Google announced they would save location history on devices by default. However, it’s unclear whether Sensorvault lives on or if Google continues to fulfill Geofence warrants.
Only those who use ‘de-Googled ’ phones and avoid Google’s location services are fully protected from this surveillance as a service. For everyone else, well… it’s not a good idea to bring your phone to a protest.
Watch Hakeem from Above Phone explain:
That’s where a ‘de-Googled ’ phone from Above Phone comes in. For a limited time only, Vigilant Fox and Above Phone are offering an exclusive discount of up to $300 off a fully loaded, user-friendly Above Phone !
Get Your ‘De-Googled’ Phone
Surveillance As A Service Google Play Services, running as a privileged system process, continuously collects location data locally before transmitting it to Google's servers. This data is tagged with permanent identifiers, including the device's hardware serial number, SIM card information, and Android ID, creating a record of movement.
Image: Shutterstock / Dennis Diatel
When law enforcement submits a geofence warrant, Sensorvault processes the request through a sophisticated analysis pipeline.
The system first identifies all devices within the specified geographic and temporal boundaries. It then analyzes movement patterns, calculating dwell times and mapping entrance and exit points. Finally, high-scoring devices are cross-referenced with Google accounts and additional identifiers, building comprehensive profiles of individuals present at the scene.
Even when users disable all privacy options, both iPhone and Android devices continue transmitting detailed location and identification data to Google's servers. This creates a permanent record of movement and behavior that proves nearly impossible to erase .
The implications extend far beyond political protests. Geofence warrants have seen explosive growth , from fewer than 500 requests in early 2018 to over 3,000 per quarter by late 2020 . Law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on this tool for investigations ranging from local burglaries to organized crime, effectively turning every Google user's phone into a disturbingly dystopian corporate promise: surveillance as a service .
Implementing Solutions For those genuinely concerned about privacy, completely opting out of Google's surveillance requires some effort.
Users must go through the process of jailbreaking and installing alternative operating systems like GrapheneOS , or DivestOS that remove Google services entirely, or implement strict network-level blocking of Google domains.
Unfortunately, adjusting simple privacy settings on both iPhone and Android proves insufficient to prevent tracking , as core system services continue collecting and transmitting location data regardless of user preferences. Research from Trinity College Dublin has exposed the true extent of this data collection.
Modern machine learning models like the Sentient World Simulation can now predict likely future locations , identify behavioral patterns, map social connections through co-location data, and track group movements.
As this surveillance infrastructure expands, users face a stark choice: accept comprehensive monitoring as the cost of modern mobile convenience or adopt a fully loaded ‘de-Googled’ privacy phone like Above Phone to protect user privacy.
The middle ground between these options continues to shrink, forcing a fundamental reassessment of our relationship with mobile technology and personal privacy.
Right now, you can save up to $300 on your very own Above Phone by taking advantage of Vigilant Fox’s exclusive offer! Above Phone isn’t just a phone, it’s an ecosystem of friendly technologies working together to protect you and your community. Hurry! Quantities are limited, and this deal won’t last.
Protect Your Privacy With Above Phone
If you want to know if your smartphone is truly secure, Join Above Phone’s free webinar on November 19th to find out!
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Sources: Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Demand Data about Users of Any Phone in a Given Location?
Who Can We Call On? How Our Phones Are Tracked By Big Tech, Telecom, and Government
The Fifth Circuit Shuts Down Geofence Warrants—and Maybe a Lot More
Mobile Handset Privacy: Measuring The Data iOS and Android Send to Apple And Google
GrapheneOS
AI Surveillance & Pre-Crime: On the Sentient World Simulation
Premier Open Source Privacy Phone: Above Phone