# Android Battery Could Disclose Location



## ekim68 (Jul 8, 2003)

> Researchers at Stanford say they can track an Android users location simply by gathering battery use data for a few minutes. While its of limited effect, they argue this could undermine the user permissions system on Android.


Here


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

But only if they have a pretty good idea of the location anyway.
I read this and wondered when Stanford are going to produce any real scientific news. <gurn>


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## Ent (Apr 11, 2009)

What counts as pretty good? 
Besides, even if all this could tell is when you move from one place to another, that would still have privacy implications I wouldn't like very much.


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

> Fortunately the practical use of this method is extremely limited as it relies on the person tracking the location having already prepared a map of the area and gathered the data on how battery use would vary depending on location.


I can't see how this can be any more accurate than measuring the signal strength. And they will certainly will be able to tell which cell tower you are using and possibly by checking other towers, even where you are. How is your phone going to give you a route, or tell you which is the closest anything if it doesn't know where you are?


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## Ent (Apr 11, 2009)

Dave, the difference is one of access permissions. The typical app you install on your phone does not have access to the actual phone bit (including cell signal strength). It has whatever privileges it convinces you to give it. 

The worrying thing here is not that I could build an app which could record your location every 5 minutes and send it to me; I could already do that far better just by asking the GPS. However, I'd be unlikely to persuade you to grant my app GPS permission if you were for any reason suspicious. Permission to monitor the battery, however, is something that seems absolutely innocuous.


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

But the data is only useful if you already know pretty much where I am already since you need to know the location of the tower (and which one) to be able to work out where I am in relation to it. (and that is without interference taken into account).

I'm not arguing the fact that it can be done, but more the effort required to work it out. So fine, I am half a mile from the tower. Where am I? That is quite a large circle. Does the app know which tower given that I'm not letting it have GPS permission?


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## Ent (Apr 11, 2009)

Would you consider it a concern if the app didn't know where you'd been, but built up a 5-minutely account of whether you were inside, outside, or in a car?


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

It wouldn't concern me personally at all since I don't have a smart phone and it is turned off anyway when I'm travelling. 
If anyone needs to get to me, they can leave a message or ring me later - I'm not that important/on call nowadays.

I'm one of those people who consider phones to be one of the rudest devices known to man.

"ANSWER ME NOW!" and I'll keep pestering till you do. You wouldn't accept that behaviour from a person, especially since most calls are unsolicited anyway even with TPS.


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## ekim68 (Jul 8, 2003)

DaveBurnett said:


> It wouldn't concern me personally at all since I don't have a smart phone and it is turned off anyway when I'm travelling.


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

My mobile phone is a basic phone, nothing else. I have a computer to do computing!!


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## Adamorange (Dec 2, 2014)

DaveBurnett said:


> But only if they have a pretty good idea of the location anyway.
> I read this and wondered when Stanford are going to produce any real scientific news. <gurn>


its is Stanford afterall


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