FAKE LOCATION: HOW VACATIONS SELFIES WILL GET YOU ROBBED

Posted by freemexy on October 19th, 2019

What is the point of flying more than a thousand miles from Miami to St. Bart’s if there will be no jealous people on social media to see that? Well, the point is to enjoy yourself and not to get your home robbed while you are away. Thankfully, you can fake location data by using a few tools and hopefully a bit of patience. This way, you can be both safe and admired by people who needed to work over the summer. Qwer432
The first issue when it comes to concealing your private information will be cyber hygiene. You will need a bit of discipline not to tell everyone on the internet where you are at all times. Common sense should inform you not to say to strangers where they can hurt you, and this should translate to your online behavior.
Finally, you can always use a VPN to keep your information hidden from both malicious people online and in real life. By using a premium VPN provider, you can mask your IP address with locations around the world, not letting anyone know you were on vacation until you are back.
This will also give you some time to retouch your photos, edit your videos, and maybe cut out some failed summer romances from experience.
What is Geolocation?
As the name suggests, it is your geographic location. While the term itself is self-explanatory, the ways devices, services, and other entities get this data is a bit more complicated. There are several ways how someone would know where you are depending on the tool they are using to find you. There could also be some that you are using to show your location.
Additionally, there is an option to embed data into images, videos, or even audio files to show where you are sending from, or where you were when you took the picture.
On its own, location software is not malicious. It wasn’t made with the ideas for the Illuminati to round us up when the reckoning happens. Regardless, it is still private data. Giving useful private data to people you don’t know is always a bad idea. From companies and governments that are harvesting your information for sales or policy, to outright burglars knowing you’re not at home.
But, if you know how data-relations work, you will be able to still post your images and videos to social media, without putting yourself in danger. Failing to do so can cost you your safety, and even your insurance claim if your house gets robbed.
GPS vs. Data Location
While there are other ways for someone to learn your location from a photo, especially if they recognize it, there are only two main ways for AI and hackers to learn this. You will either be using a Global Positioning System, or GPS or send your data via your IP address and the known location of the server or data tower.
A GPS is much more accurate when it comes to finding your device, as it uses a satellite in geosynchronous orbit to pinpoint precisely where the signal is coming from. Depending on your region, a GPS can tell your location in a radius from three feet to about fifty feet.
When using your data location, you ask the location of the nearest data tower or server, and embedding that into the files. Geo IP location is not as exact, and can even be up to several miles. But, your precise location is not essential when it comes to the information that you are not at home.
Finally, as is the case with most personal information, issues arise with combining different data from different periods. The information where you are might not be useful on its own but can become priceless if someone, like a burglar, knows where you live.
Best Capture the Flag Game in History
As mentioned, there are other ways to determine your exact location from a picture, even if there is no location data involved. While most people will never experience this level of ‘’weaponized autism’’, it did come after the acclaimed actor Shia LeBeouf.
The actor placed a flag in protest, and people online wanted to make fun of him and stole the flag that was on a live stream. Next, he moved it to a secluded location in a rural area, where someone online uses the pattern of the stars shown on the video to pinpoint the location.
Later, there were a few other such incidents, each funnier than the last.
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freemexy
Joined: December 6th, 2018
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