COVID-19 Tracker Secretly Added to Smart Phones.

[3MTA3]

Found this posted on Facebook. I checked my iPhone and yes it's there as described. Potential for abuse is enormous.

When was the last time something good for you was done by the government in secret?

"FYI: Do you know that a " Covid-19 " sensor has been inserted secretly into every phone. Apparently when every one was having a phone disruption earlier this week, they were adding COVID -19 tracker to our phones​

If you have an android phone, go under settings, then look for Google settings and see if it's there.​

If you are using an iPhone, go under settings, privacy, then health, it's there but not yet functional. The app can notify you if you've been near someone that have reported having COVID-19.​

Don't turn it on because you will be traced everywhere you go but once you update your phone, it will automatically be turned on on our phones. Just remember to go back in and turn it off."​

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[Alexx1401]

Looked at mine and it's there claims off. I clicked on it to see what it would do. Claimed that to use it I would have to download a participating app to use it. Color me skeptical. If the Gov really wanted or wants to monitor me or anyone else they are not likely to tell anyone. They would just do it.

 

[ma96782]

Thanks....must have happened when the last "up date" was done to my iPhone. It was "off". But of course that is only if.....those with positive Coronavirus tests would admit/register their test results in the phone app.

So then.....
It's funny to me......that someone (APPLE) didn't make an AIDs and/or STD tracker app. LOL.

Aloha, Mark

 

[3MTA3]

Looked at mine and it's there claims off. I clicked on it to see what it would do. Claimed that to use it I would have to download a participating app to use it. Color me skeptical. If the Gov really wanted or wants to monitor me or anyone else they are not likely to tell anyone. They would just do it.

Perhaps it could be used to get around that pesky "need a warrant to use as evidence" thing?

 

[sobo]

If you are using an iPhone, go under settings, privacy, then health, it's there but not yet functional. The app can notify you if you've been near someone that have reported having COVID-19.
Don't turn it on because you will be traced everywhere you go but once you update your phone, it will automatically be turned on on our phones. Just remember to go back in and turn it off."

There's nothing in my Health tab, but then again, my Privacy is always turned off. I rarely turn it on/use it for anything. And when done, I immediately turn it back off.
That being said, there is a new update (iOS 12.4.8) waiting in my queue to download and install. I'll wager that's where that little blighter of a spy is hiding.
It can stay the phuq there for all I care...

 

[Hueco]

There's nothing in my Health tab, but then again, my Privacy is always turned off. I rarely turn it on/use it for anything. And when done, I immediately turn it back off.
That being said, there is a new update (iOS 12.4.8) waiting in my queue to download and install. I'll wager that's where that little blighter of a spy is hiding.
It can stay the phuq there for all I care...

What he said. If your device works just fine, why are you updating? Do you read the feature logs before choosing to? I've since upgraded but was, as of a month ago, running a 6s on version 8.something and the only issue I had with the phone: battery life.

Also, apple is a private company. Hell, you using data to surf the internet is giving them your approximate location even without gps. Time to face the music: don't want to be tracked? Get a flip phone. (Even then, might be dicey...)

 

[sobo]

What he said. If your device works just fine, why are you updating? Do you read the feature logs before choosing to? I've since upgraded but was, as of a month ago, running a 6s on version 8.something and the only issue I had with the phone: battery life.

Yup, I always check the Forbes consumer tech site (Gordon Kelly) for the latest reasons to update (or not) with each release. I'm currently running an iPhone 6 with iOS 12.4.5 and don't see any reason to update.

Also, apple is a private company. Hell, you using data to surf the internet is giving them your approximate location even without gps. Time to face the music: don't want to be tracked? Get a flip phone. (Even then, might be dicey...)

Yup again! I rarely, if ever, use my phone to surf. Privacy is always on and Location Services are always off. I do all of my surfing on my laptop through a VPN.

 

[slimmer13]

Yup, I always check the Forbes consumer tech site (Gordon Kelly) for the latest reasons to update (or not) with each release. I'm currently running an iPhone 6 with iOS 12.4.5 and don't see any reason to update.


Yup again! I rarely, if ever, use my phone to surf. Privacy is always on and Location Services are always off. I do all of my surfing on my laptop through a VPN.

Listen to the Snowden episode of Rogan. Whenever your phone is communicating with a tower (whenever it's on) the service provider has your approximate location, and those records are kept forever.

Essentially, if a 5yo gets a phone, their entire lifes travels could be mapped out.

 

[Alexx1401]

Perhaps it could be used to get around that pesky "need a warrant to use as evidence" thing?

That is a good one these days, needing a warrant. Again sadly though this is what "the people" said they wanted. This stuff has been happening for a while and most just ignore it. Law makers and "Government" people only do what people allow them to do. If ignored long enough people "in charge" have no point at which they will stop.
The damn "updates" is one thing the I Phone, as far as I know, not actually ever having one, has over Google. That you can, I hear, chose to take updates. Google does not allow you to not take them. You can try to ignore them a while and one day the phone will just do it to you. Most of the time no big deal other than locking the phone for a while. Now and then they force one out that causes all kind of problems for some of the Operating Systems until they send out a fix. Price we who use it pay for getting the OS free.
Far as I know they still sell some "old style" plain phones. That only make phone calls. Most have become so spoiled with Smart Phones they don't want to go back. The damn things have spoiled me.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Yup, all three phones have it, all currently "Off" my Google phone has a red icon next to it too, but says I need to add a app to use it! I Don't think so!

What's really weird, my iPad has it as well, also "Off" and I don't use it for anything outside navigation and a little web serfing for airport services, hotels near by, and food!

 

[papersoldier]

Custom ROMs help to keep this kind of thing from happening. Phones are basically filled to the brim from the factory with all sorts of bloatware nowadays, so my standard operating procedure is to immediately root the phone and install a custom ROM (OS), which also gives much more control over most of the phones functions than the factory firmware. I also stopped using anything Google related long ago due to their less than stellar performance when it comes to user privacy and information security. I just checked out my and my wife's phone and we're both COVID tracker free - unsurprising since the phones wont update anything without me doing it manually.

 

[Alexx1401]

Custom ROMs help to keep this kind of thing from happening. Phones are basically filled to the brim from the factory with all sorts of bloatware nowadays, so my standard operating procedure is to immediately root the phone and install a custom ROM (OS), which also gives much more control over most of the phones functions than the factory firmware. I also stopped using anything Google related long ago due to their less than stellar performance when it comes to user privacy and information security. I just checked out my and my wife's phone and we're both COVID tracker free - unsurprising since the phones wont update anything without me doing it manually.

Is this something the average "knows nothing about smart phones" other than I turn it on and use it person can do? I well remember this when Windows was going from XP to Vista. MS hid the fact that the amount of RAM needed was 3 times what they were telling builders. Since RAM was still very pricey then. So first machine I ever saw in Vista was a co workers new laptop. In trying to set it up for her it was soooooo slow I kept thinking it had locked up. So knowing nothing I take to web, told Linux it the solution. Had an old desktop to play with. Tried to put Linux on it twice. It was such a disaster I had to wipe the drive and start over both times. After second time I gave up. Then later found out the only thing wrong with the first Vista machine was 1 Gig of RAM. First time Wife bought one it had 3 and of course worked great.
So bottom line if changing the OS on a phone is really simple, as in don't have to know how to code or such? Would be nice to try. If it's going to be like when I tried Linux, super easy if you are a tech wizard, well not for me sadly. I have noticed the last couple phones I bought were packed so full of "crap" that had trouble when Google loaded the stuff I use on them. The phones would let me delete a lot of the garbage that came on them but a lot of it they have locked to the phone. I am guessing this is one of the ways they get paid since they give the OS away free?

 

[papersoldier]

Is this something the average "knows nothing about smart phones" other than I turn it on and use it person can do? [...]

While getting a custom ROM working on a phone isn't the most difficult thing in the world, it does require some understanding of how android phones function when it comes to firmware and operating systems, and some knowledge of how to naviagte around a Linux system (which Android is based on) is very helpful. Rooting a phone and messing with the firmware is probably not something I'd reccomend to someone as their first project when it comes to this type of thing, but there are a ton of great tutorials out there that can walk you through it step-by-step if you want to give it a shot anyway. Just look up your phone by model number, find out how to "root" the phone, and then follow the intstructions on the website of whatever ROM you want to use.

On a side note, and as a full time Linux user, I don't know how long ago your attempt to install Linux was but things have gotten a whole lot easier in that department for the layperson in the last few years. I'd urge you to give Linux another shot sometime - specifically Ubuntu, since it is one of the most new-user friendly Linux distros. These days Microsoft is pretty much the worst when it comes to data collection, so if you're worried about your phone tracking you you should definitely be concerned about what's going on behind the scenes on your Windows PC.

If you decide you want to give either of these things a shot (Linux or a custom ROM for your phone), feel free to hit me up here via PM and I'd be more than happy to help as best I can. That goes for any member of the forum as well - I love turning people away from the dark-side that is Microsoft and Google !

 

[Alexx1401]

While getting a custom ROM working on a phone isn't the most difficult thing in the world, it does require some understanding of how android phones function when it comes to firmware and operating systems, and some knowledge of how to naviagte around a Linux system (which Android is based on) is very helpful. Rooting a phone and messing with the firmware is probably not something I'd reccomend to someone as their first project when it comes to this type of thing, but there are a ton of great tutorials out there that can walk you through it step-by-step if you want to give it a shot anyway. Just look up your phone by model number, find out how to "root" the phone, and then follow the intstructions on the website of whatever ROM you want to use.

On a side note, and as a full time Linux user, I don't know how long ago your attempt to install Linux was but things have gotten a whole lot easier in that department for the layperson in the last few years. I'd urge you to give Linux another shot sometime - specifically Ubuntu, since it is one of the most new-user friendly Linux distros. These days Microsoft is pretty much the worst when it comes to data collection, so if you're worried about your phone tracking you you should definitely be concerned about what's going on behind the scenes on your Windows PC.

If you decide you want to give either of these things a shot (Linux or a custom ROM for your phone), feel free to hit me up here via PM and I'd be more than happy to help as best I can. That goes for any member of the forum as well - I love turning people away from the dark-side that is Microsoft and Google !

Thanks, that's what I was afraid of. While I am sure I "could" learn this I just have zero interest in it. My PC's are the same. I don't want to know how they work. I just want to turn it on and use it. I did years ago go to Chromebooks for work. Only because they are CHEAP, fast and light. So for something to take to work to play on they are great. Desktop is W10. If it dies I will take out the drive and buy another. I plug it in, turn it on, it works. Anything more just is of no interest to me. I DO NOT like Bills political agenda of course any more than the boys who started Google but, they get my money because no one else has yet come up with something that just works. Sadly.

 

[RVTECH]

Nothing in my 'health' tab in the 'privacy' settings on my Iphone

 

[Bob D]

I believe that this is not the government doing anything; I think Apple installed the infrastructure for some future opt-in tracking app to be installed. It does not do anything by itself, and was done to us by the phone companies, not by the government. (Although what's the difference at this point)

 

[papersoldier]

I believe that this is not the government doing anything; I think Apple installed the infrastructure for some future opt-in tracking app to be installed. It does not do anything by itself, and was done to us by the phone companies, not by the government. (Although what's the difference at this point)

From the looks of things this isnt even the phone companies doing anything, this is just tracker-happy Google doing tracker-happy Google things (and maybe Apple if they've put something like this on their IOS devices).

 

[Bob D]

From the looks of things this isnt even the phone companies doing anything, this is just tracker-happy Google doing tracker-happy Google things (and maybe Apple if they've put something like this on their IOS devices).

Yeah, OP was about an Apple phone and I confirmed it on my Android and lady's iphone a month or two ago when I first heard about it. I wasn't really drawing a distinction between "The company who made my phone," "The company who made the software for my phone," and "the company who connects my phone to a cellular network." In my opinion they're essentially all the same entity. At least it's supposedly opt-in!

 

[sobo]

Is it really opt-in? Or after updating the iOS, will it be "on" and one must go back into Settings and opt out?

 

[MannyGlocks]

And for those few (like me) who don't own an asteroid phone or it's equal, but a pre-paid flip phone are we too getting tracked?

Probably moot for me as I rarely go any further than my yard...