Man Uses 99 Phones and a Handcart to Create “Virtual Traffic Jam” on Google Maps

interestingengineering.com

61 points·rbanffy··10 comments

> Man Uses 99 Phones and a Handcart to Create “Virtual Traffic Jam” on Google Maps

- This was 10 years ago. - I just found out.

If this hasn't already been done, this would make a great plot device for a heist story. A character uses this exploit to influence a mark to take an alternative route preferred by the heisters.

Yawn... https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...

[2020]

Is google getting data from the phones, even when the map app is not in use or even turned on? I’m wondering because I rarely use the map app in my local city and I wonder how many other people are using it at any one time for google to get accurate traffic data.

Yes. They retrieve your location regardless of whether you have Google maps open when using an Android phone with Google play services enabled.

What about iPhone?

On iPhone you can choose when individual apps access your location ("never, only once, only while using the app, always" - typing from memory)

Android offers the same thing. The point here is about the google pay services which is a highly priviledged service inside any android and so will be apple inside any iphone.

I don't think that's the point. Apple Maps app has the same location settings as any other map app on iPhone. I have it set to "While Using the App".

If you are suggesting that Apple tracks user location at all times regardless of this setting, then that's a different topic that has no substance in this therad.

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