Electronic Frontier FoundationOct 2, 2025
ICE is buying a location tracking tool that harvests data from hundreds of millions of phones a day. Protect your location data by updating a few settings on your phone 🧵 (1/4): https://www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-tool-that-tracks-locations-of-hundreds-of-millions-of-phones-every-day/
ICE to Buy Tool that Tracks Locations of Hundreds of Millions of Phones Every Day

Documents show that ICE has gone back on its decision to not use location data remotely harvested from peoples' phones. The database is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data.

404 Media
Show threadElectronic Frontier FoundationOct 2, 2025
Turn off your phone’s “advertising ID” to make it harder for location data brokers to track you. (2/4)
Show threadSimon EI3JDBOct 3, 2025
@eff my phone runs #GrapheneOS which doesn't have this "feature"
Show threadDamon L. WakesOct 3, 2025
@EI3JDB @eff That's true by default, but if you've installed Google Play Services then it's in the settings for the Google Play Services app specifically. Just found it myself.
Show threadSimon EI3JDB
@DamonWakes @eff Indeed, and there it remains - #grapheneos sandboxes Google Play.
Oct 3, 2025 at 7:13amWeb
Show threadDamon L. WakesOct 3, 2025
@EI3JDB @eff You might want to double-check the details. Apps that depend on Google Play Services are obviously able to get SOME information from it, and this ID may be included. (A quick search online suggests it is, but I'm not confident in saying that for certain.)
Show threadtranquil_cassowaryOct 3, 2025
@DamonWakes @EI3JDB @eff
They can communicate with Google Play via IPC if present in the same profile, but this happens based on mutual consent.