Does VPN really hide your location? How?

General Privacy & Security
42

So, along w/ a vpn use …

  • duckduckgo instead of google search,
  • brave browser instead of chrome, firefox, and edge
  • de-googled phone w/ open source f-droid apps and/or aurora store to download free google play apps that don’t use google services (waze, spotify, etc.) which hides your identity from google
  • switch sim cards often which gives you a new imei and phone number
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43

Even all that isn’t enough to hide you, especially your last point. See the section on SIM cards: https://ssd.eff.org/en/playlist/privacy-breakdown-mobile-phones

44

Obviously, if cellular service is used, your location can be determined w/in 6’ by the carrier and/or govt, but it depends upon your threat vectors. For most, the threat vector isn’t the govt as much as bad actors and big tech which can be effectively defended against using a vpn + de-googled phone + privacy-focused apps like brave, duckduckgo, etc.

See Rob Braxman Tech playlists for details.

1 Like
45

Changing the SIM card does not change the IMEI. Changing the SIM card changes the IMSI.

Or the opening text. Summary: Mobile phones are a privacy and security nightmare. :frowning:

That’s why we need the L5, to start to claw back some privacy and security.

5 Likes
46

Hello, do you think the free VPN that Firefox has just added to its browser is reliable? Is our IP address hidden from everyone, or does Firefox still know it? Could it share it with Google (with whom Firefox is getting dangerously close)?

1 Like