Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!nntp.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Nuno Silva Newsgroups: comp.lang.python,misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.mobile.android,alt.internet.wireless,alt.comp.os.windows-10 Subject: Re: Apple changed their documentation at my request but it proves they don't care about privacy Date: Mon, 07 Sep 2026 18:46:59 +0100 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 33 Message-ID: <117mtak$3fo2q$1@dont-email.me> References: <117b5u0$1q77$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <117b9uu$3glj7$1@dont-email.me> <117c8t3$ifv$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <117cmbk$1e7a$3@dont-email.me> <117fmvs$27up$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <117fpti$18lf$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <117hhrg$1jqn$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <117hplp$oha$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <117m181$33ilj$4@dont-email.me> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Injection-Date: Mon, 07 Sep 2026 17:47:01 +0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; logging-data="3661914"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX19yuQcKQBU8pr1mXum34OS0"; posting-host="b60159b2e372aca21643e463b99c0bb0" User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.5 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:qcUoRry2uI8o5WATydtnLIlhCv8= sha256:khNNpXDdB9fuFu2qsOWErcgxyYQjJhJ4u7QsajAgJ24= sha1:o33MINRM0oArCkeXIgYZXLK1Ggw= sha256:yUEZiL8CF8J3cH2e0/ppNSXNsmfpDPsfs31TZvairWY= Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:197978 misc.phone.mobile.iphone:202136 comp.mobile.android:155722 alt.internet.wireless:19000 alt.comp.os.windows-10:195619 On 2026-09-07, Carlos E.R. wrote: > On 2026-09-07 13:34, Carlos E.R. wrote: >> On 2026-09-07 11:47, Nuno Silva wrote: >>> On 2026-09-06, Jon Ribbens wrote: >>> >>>> The purpose of these databases of BSSID locations is to assist devices >>>> such as mobile phones in locating themselves. Maybe the device is >>>> indoors and cannot get a GPS signal, but also my understanding is that >>>> GPS can fix an accurate location much faster if it starts already >>>> knowing vaguely where on the planet it is. >>> >>> There was already a mechanism to do this at least since "3G" using >>> mobile data connections, right? >> >> Yes. It was possible since GSM was invented, but somebody had to >> figure out that, and design a methodology. Initially, it involved a >> written request to the mobile network provider to do calculations >> using dumps of logs from each tower that could be involved. >> >> And at some time it was automated, and phones could find their rough >> location instantly. > > I asked ChatGPT for more info. Take with a pinch of salt. (What you included is interesting too, but to be clear what I was referring to is the "supl" APN type, which AFAIK is intended to be used for positioning information? But it's not something I've researched at all, the extent of my knowledge was searching to try to understand the values in that comma-separated list many years ago.) -- Nuno Silva