Some people believed the GPS trackers were being installed by dealerships for repossession, or by rental car companies for fleet tracking. Using this port, we could interact with the device in order to find out more about it.Ī quick web search search also revealed that a number of people all over the US had found these exact devices in their cars. The manual also said the Apollo had a special type of port for communicating with the device, known as a UART serial port. According to the manual, the Apollo can track a car’s location, then send the location to a server over a cellular connection. The FCC search confirmed that the device was a GPS tracker sold under the brand name “Apollo,” and made by a company called M-Labs. With that ID you can find manuals, pictures, and even internal schematics on any device the FCC has reviewed. Each device that has a radio transmitter or receiver is required to have an FCC ID. We started by searching for the device’s FCC ID in the FCC’s database. On one side, the words “THIS SIDE DOWN” were printed in block letters, next to three serial numbers.įirst, we wanted to confirm that this was, in fact, a GPS device. It was a black and gray box, about four inches long, with a bundle of 6 wires coming out of one end. Sarah sent us detailed pictures of the device. Confronted with a mystery that could also help us learn more about tracking, our team got to work. This supporter, who we’ll call Sarah (not her real name), sent us an email asking if we could determine whether this device was a GPS tracker, and if so, who might have installed it. Several weeks ago, an EFF supporter brought her car to a mechanic, and found a mysterious device wired into her car under her driver's seat. That’s why at EFF we’ve long fought against dragnet surveillance, mobile device tracking, and warrantless GPS tracking. But when tracking isn’t done by you, but to you-without your knowledge or consent-it’s a violation of your privacy. If you would like us to make the connection between your browser and your account, and you have not yet opted out of sale/sharing your personal information, please submit the form below.Being able to accurately determine your location anywhere on the planet is a useful technological trick. You may use an Opt-Out Preference Signal, such as the Global Privacy Control (GPC), to opt-out of the sale/sharing of your personal information. OPT-OUT PREFERENCE SIGNAL (GLOBAL PRIVACY CONTROL) If you do not have an Advantage GPS account or if you are not logged into your Advantage GPS account, your request to opt-out of sale/sharing will be linked to your browser identifier only and not linked to any account information because the connection between your browser and the account is not known to us. If you are logged into your Advantage GPS account and have already been opted-out of sale/sharing of your personal information, the form will not appear. Any information you provide below will not be used, disclosed, or retained for any purpose other than processing the request to opt-out of sale/sharing.įor more information about our privacy practices, please review our Privacy Policy. If you do not provide the information requested below, we may not be able to identify you and process your request to opt-out. The information you provide below, if needed, will facilitate your request to opt-out of sale/sharing. If you have not yet opted out of sale/sharing of your personal information, please submit the form below.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |