How Cell
Phone Tracking
and Data
Collection
Continue to
Invade Privacy
By: Anais Castagnola, Emily Acosta, Isabella
Carrasco,
Kamryn Tomas, and Kelly Truong
Background information
Who? There are movements of tens of millions of
people with mobile phones that are being tracked.
What? Devices log information about your location and
movements and report that information to third parties.
Where/When? Apps have time stamped location data
points which can be used to track the phone or retrace
the analyzed historical data.
How cell phone tracking and data collection
continue to invade privacy? Data points are sold as
marketing analysis to advisers and other third parties,
who use it to track frequent visits to places.
Thesis
Statement:
Advances in technology have allowed cell phones to
track and collect every intimate detail of a person's life
and their whereabouts.
Big Idea #1
Laws have been created that prohibit our information from being shared
with outside sources. These laws would not have been necessary if our
information was being used and protected properly to begin with.
”Absent meaningful safeguards, “For example, while the government
government collection of revealing could not get an individual’s location
information might infringe on core information from a cell service provider,
civil liberties such as freedom of such as AT&T or Verizon, without a
association and freedom of warrant, it may be able to buy it from a
expression, especially if the data is data broker who is legally able to
misappropriated.” - a quote from purchase similar information from a
“Government Access to Mobile Phone smartphone application developer who
Data for Contact Tracing” written and collects it.” - a quote from “Government
published by Harsha Panduranga, Laura Access to Mobile Phone Data for Contact
Hecht-Felella, and Raya Koreh. Tracing” written and published by Harsha
Panduranga, Laura Hecht-Felella, and Raya
- The Stored Communications Act Koreh.
(SCA, 1986) and the
Telecommunications Act (1996) - This shows that almost anyone and
are relevant when it comes to everyone is vulnerable to having their
what information private personal information, specifically
companies are allowed to location, sold and spread without their
disclose concerning an knowledge. Even with such laws and
Big Idea #2
Claim:
Although we think that we are only giving our information or locations for certain purposes like GPS, weather apps, and
exercising purposes. We really don't know what else they do with our information.
Lisa Margin, a math teacher, has her location enabled when running
so she can see her distance.
● An app on the device gathered her location information, which was
then sold without her knowledge. The app tracked her whereabouts
from a Weight Watchers meeting, her dermatologist’s office, hiking
with her dog, and staying at her ex-boyfriend’s house. ( loca. was
recorded over 8,600 times)
● “The book ‘1984,’ we’re kind of living it in a lot of ways,” said Bill
Kakis, a managing partner at Tell All.
The data set that The Times reviewed event showcased Jails, schools, a military base, a
nuclear power plant, and even crime scenes.
● The data set also showed the steps of a person who arrived at the site of a late-night
homicide in Manhattan, then spent time at a nearby hospital, returning repeatedly to
the local police station.
● Fysical and Safegraph are data companies and during the 2017 presidential
inauguration. A red box near the Capitol steps indicated the general location of
President Trump and those around him, cell phones pining away which was on Fysica’s
map
Big Idea
Claim #3 who has a cell phone can not escape it spying on us.
: Everyone
From as little as going to the grocery store to what your house address,
occupation, and spouses names. Retrieving information and selling it to
third parties.
“Once the address of the home was located, “ Many of the apps we use collect and share
public records for the home were addressed to our data with advertisers or other third
provide the name of the persons and often the parties”. - Your Cell Phone Is a Spy by Judge
name of his or her spouse or other persons Herbert B. Dixon Jr.
occupying the property” - Your Cell Phone Is a
Spy by Judge Herbert B. Dixon Jr. Now and days, most or all apps require
our location information or getting our
It became very easy and simple to receive zipcode. It makes it extremely easy for
information about anyone and anything with hackers to get data and sell it to make
just having a cell phone. One piece of money off of it. Most of the time people
information can lead to many more. do not look into reading the “Terms and
Conditions” which can also fall into our
personal data being released.
Examples of data/location tracking in known public
places
COUNTER
ARGUMENT
Although cell phone and data tracking has
many cons and hundreds of ways to invade
our privacy, tracking can be very beneficial in
certain situations
● Allows emergency responders to
easily find you in any given situation
● Helps locate lost electronic devices
● Allows parent to keep tab of where
their children are at all times to make
sure they are safe
● GPS is located in most newer cars
which helps track a stolen car
● Social Networking apps allow for us to
connect with people in our area
● Businesses can track employees to
see if they are completing work
Call to Action
How Cell we prevent Phone Tracking and Data
Collection?
● Change your phones location in settings
● Limit AD tracking
● Covering cameras
● Stop Google from tracking your every
move
● Control the permissions on the apps you
use
● Turn off location services
● Use different web browsers
● Use private browsers
How does this connect to
1984:
Our surveillance project connects to 1984 because in the book
the citizens in Oceania have no privacy at all. They are
constantly being watched by the government and the
telescreens. The government makes sure that the citizens are
where they are supposed to be and doing what they're
supposed to do. These telescreens see and hear everything just
like our phones do and cannot be turned off. This is similar to
our world today because of the lack of privacy we have
because of our phones, GPS devices, Amazon echoes, and
google homes. These devices hear and see most things and
pick up on things we say and search. It even goes to show why
people cover all their cameras on their devices when they are
not being used because the government can hack into those
databases and watch what we are doing. Although the use of
surveillance can be helpful at times when it Allows emergency
responders to easily find you in any given situation or when
parents need to keep tabs on their children. The use of
surveillance to invade our privacy is not okay and shouldn't be
happening. Databases and governments should not be able to
Emily, Isabella, Anais, Kamryn, Kelly Acosta, Carrasco, Castagnola, Tomas, Truong Page 1
Ordway
ERWC P.1 Annotated Bibliography
March 28
Thesis: Cell phone tracking and data collection will continue to advance as seen in evidence from Dixon, Valentino, Wessler, , and .
Dixon, Judge Herbert. “Your Cell phone is a Spy.” Aba (American Bar Association)”. James L Anderson, 29 July. 2020.
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/judicial/publications/judges_journal/2020/summer/your-cell-phone-a-spy/ . 1 March , 2022.
Springwise “Pros and Cons: Location Tracking.” Springwise, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.springwise.com/pros-cons/location-tracking
Valentino-DeVries, Jennifer, Singer Natasha, Keller H. Michael, and Krolik Aaron. “ Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night,
and They’re Not Keeping It Secret” The New York Times. December 10, 2018.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html . 1 March, 2022.
Wessler, Nathan Fred. “ACLU News & Commentary” The U.S. Government Is Secretly Using Cell Phone Location Data to Track
Us. We’re Suing. American Civil Liberties Union, 2 Dec. 2020,
www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-u-s-government-is-secretly-using-cell-phone-location-data-to-track-us-were-suing/. 1
March, 2022.
Panduranga, Harsha. Hecht-Felella, Laura. Koreh, Raya.“Government Access to Mobile Phone Data for Contact Tracing.” Brennan
Center for Justice, 21 May 2020,
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/government-access-mobile-phone-data-contact-tracing#footnote1_siabob
y
1 March, 2022
Acosta 1
Emily Acosta
Ordway
ERWC Period 1
27 March 2022
Annotated Bibliography
Valentino-DeVries, Jennifer, Singer Natasha, Keller H. Michael, and Krolik Aaron. “ Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night, and They’re Not Keeping It
Secret '' The New York Times. December 10, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html . 1 March 2022. This
article talks about the everyday apps we use on our phones that leak and sell our information without our knowledge. In this article, they use the story of Lisa Margin
who is a math teacher. Lisa has her location enabled when running so she can see her distance. After using that running app she found out that she was being tracked
over 8,600 times and on average, once every 21 minutes. This not only tracked her running distance but then also tracked the errands she ran. Your Apps Know Where
You Were Last Night, and They’re Not Keeping It Secret by The New York Times connects to the world of 1984 because it shows how little privacy we have in our
society now. Due to the advances in technology with satellites and database trackers, we are constantly being watched whether we like it or not. In the world of 1984,
the citizens are being watched by their telescreens and big brother. These telescreens see and hear everything just like our phones do and cannot be turned off. A lot of
people usually have their cameras covered to prevent being watched. In Oceania, you are unable to do that because the government is there to keep you on track and
make sure that you are doing what needs to be done. Overall our world and government are slowly moving into the world of surveillance just like in 1984.
Carrasco 1
Isabella Carrasco
Ordway Annotated Bibliography
ERWC Per. 1
March 28th
Wessler, Nathan Fred. “ACLU News & Commentary” The U.S. Government Is Secretly Using Cell Phone Location Data to Track Us. We’re
Suing. American Civil Liberties Union, 2 Dec. 2020,
www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-u-s-government-is-secretly-using-cell-phone-location-data-to-track-us-were-suing/. 1 March, 2022.
In the article, The U.S. Government Is Secretly Using Cell Phone Location Data to Track Us. We’re Suing illustrates the federal immigration
authorities violating the fourth amendment to access private cell phone location information without obtaining a warrant. GPS chips map
location, provide weather updates and more. These apps regularly sell users’ information to third parties for marketing and advertising. This
cell phone tracking and data collection is an invasion of privacy because a cell phone’s record is tailored to a person’s intimate life. If their
information is needed it should only be available when a warrant is obtained by a judge. Similar to 1984, Big Brother also invades the people’s
privacy because they can watch you at any given time from a telescreen located in your home. Telescreens can also use propaganda to make
the people feel patriotism to their idealized government. Telescreens cannot be turned off just as cell phones unless you manually turn them
off, otherwise, data will be stored automatically. Orwell explains the citizens in Oceania have no privacy to the point where the government
knows people’s fear, just as Winston feared rats and it was used to tortuture him later. The article argues their fourth amendment is violated
when information is sold without a warrant which shows how much technology is advancing to monitor everyday movements making privacy
non-existent.
Castagnola 1
Anais Castagnola
Ordway
ERWC Period 1
27 March 2022
Springwise “Pros and Cons: Location Tracking.” Springwise, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.springwise.com/pros-cons/location-tracking
In the article, “Pros and Cons: Location Tracking”, explains and compares the pros and cons of cell phone tracking and data collection.
While focusing on the counterargument, the pros and benefits of tracking and data collection, information online about this topic is very
limited. One of the biggest advantages of location tracking implicated in our phones is GPS. The world of GPS helps the economy of
humans in so many ways. In very serious situations, cell phone tracking can be very beneficial. If an emergency were to occur, emergency
services would be easily be able to locate anyone if they had a cell phone. Tracking can also be very beneficial for parents who want to
make sure their child is safe in certain places and situations. With the threat of theft becoming bigger and bigger, personal, electronic
devices can be easily and safely be located with location tracking. This can be seen with services like FindMyIPhone or Life360. Location
tracking also is highly incorporated in social media platforms. In these social media apps, location and data tracking sets up an algorithm
for us individually so we are able to connect to people nearby or anyone who has the same interests as us. Overall, these are the very few
benefits to location tracking compared to the others that spike major privacy concerns.
Truong 1
Kelly Truong
Ordway
ERWC / Per 1 Annotated Bibliography
28 March 2022
Dixon, Judge Herbert. “Your Cell Phone Is a Spy.” American Bar Association, Judge Herbert B. Dixon Jr., 29 July 2020.
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/judicial/publications/judges_journal/2020/summer/your-cell-phone-a-spy/. 7 March
2022.
In the article “Your Cell Phone Is a Spy”, it explains that our cell phone are the ones that are causing all personal
data being released. Cell phones have developed fairly quickly, and people have learned many ways to hack it
and get our information through it. Many people have not noticed that they have lost the privacy for something
that they rely on more… their mobile device. The apps on the device are able to track real life time or retrace
locations where it has been. No one is safe from their invasion of privacy. This article also discusses that The
President Donald trump is being traced as well. With being in the government you would think that it would be
extremely difficult to track yet even researchers were able to track secret service agents that were assigned with
President Donald Trump. Stopping your device from being tracked is not easy and as cell phones start to advance
more and more. It will increase the concerns of people and become a lot easier to track and get information on
anyone.
This article was choosing because it had many details as to how cell phones was getting personal information as
well as using someone like Donald Trump to show how he was able to be tracked. It is not an “old fashion” thing to
Kamryn Tomas
Tomas 1
Ordway
ERWC Period 1
28 March 2022
Annotated Bibliography
Panduranga, Harsha. Hecht-Felella, Laura. Koreh, Raya.“Government Access to Mobile Phone Data for Contact Tracing.” Brennan Center for
Justice, 21 May 2020,
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/government-access-mobile-phone-data-contact-tracing#footnote1_siaboby 1 March,
2022
This article discusses the situation we are currently living through with the coronavirus and how our locations and proximity to other
individuals is being collected and used by private companies. One thing that is brought up in the article is that there are multiple acts/laws that
have been implemented even before the coronavirus outbreak that were formulated to protect individuals from their information being sold and
collected without their knowledge. It is obvious that if invasions of privacy and the buying and selling of user data wasn’t as common as it is,
these laws would have never been necessary. We learn that even with these laws, there are private companies that are buying and selling user
information, such as locations and proximity to other individuals, without punishment. While the article claims that this use of user data and
information is being used for a good, ethical reason, it is still an invasion of privacy that the user is unaware of. Just like in the novel 1984 by
George Orwell, the citizens of Oceania have zero privacy, always being watched by spies that take the information they know about an individual
Isabella
https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-u-s-government-is-secretly-using-cell-phone-location-data-t
o-track-us-were-suing/
Kelly
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/judicial/publications/judges_journal/2020/summer/your-cell-phone-a-spy/
Kamryn
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/government-access-mobile-phone-data-contact-tra
cing
Anais
https://www.springwise.com/pros-cons/location-tracking
Emily
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html
Thank
you
