[governance] GPS mandatory on all mobile phones to be manufactured in India.

Sivasubramanian M isolatedn at gmail.com
Tue Apr 26 12:53:22 EDT 2016


Thank you for clarifying that you were talking about triangulation.  I
don't know much about the technology behind operating webcams and
microphones remotely, so I searched and found this page:

http://www.cnet.com/news/many-ways-to-activate-webcams-sans-spy-software/

In this article, the sub-section titled "malware can turn on webcam" is
what causes concern. This danger is explained in greater detail in the
article
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/how-hackers-can-switch-on-your-webcam-and-control-your-computer-20130328-2gvwv.html


My concern about GPS is on a similar abuse of technology.

Thank you.
Sivasubramanian M

On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 10:01 PM, <george.sadowsky at gmail.com> wrote:

> Siva,
>
> I know nothing about turning on cameras or microphones remotely .  My
> point was that if the phone is 'active'  --  perhaps that's a better word
>  --  and ready to receive a phone call, the network of base stations knows
> where it is through proximity and/or triangulation.  It has to, because the
> network wouldn't work otherwise.
>
> Georg
>
>
> On Apr 26, 2016, at 10:26 AM, Sivasubramanian M <isolatedn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Dear Peng Hwa and George Sadowsky,
>
>
> Thank you for your comments and pointers. If a camera or a microphone in a
> computer or phone can be remotely turned on, as George Sadowsky has pointed
> out, the controls could lie beyond the user's choice. There is also the
> possibility of the GPS chip in the phone is designed and programmed to
> enhance surveillance capabilities.
>
> --
> Sivasubramanian M <https://www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 4:11 PM, George Sadowsky <
> george.sadowsky at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The phone at lower levels is transmitting an ACK to the base stations
>> that it "hears.".  So the base station system can track the phone even
>> though the phone is turned off at the user level.
>>
>> George
>>
>>
>>
>> On Apr 26, 2016, at 2:32 AM, Ang Peng Hwa (Prof) <TPHANG at ntu.edu.sg>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Pardon my ignorance but unless the GPS chip also transmits data, where is
>> the privacy concern?
>>
>> As I understand it, and of course I stand to be corrected, the GPS chip
>> is passive in the sense that it collects signals from satellites to
>> triangulate its position. If the phone then does not transmit the data via
>> other apps no one will know where the phone is.
>>
>> If that is the case, it is the other apps that over-collects data, not
>> the GPS chip. Already, there are many apps that, in over-enthusiastic
>> collection of data, already violate privacy. The door has been open and the
>> horse has long bolted.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Ang Peng Hwa
>>
>>
>> From: <governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org> on behalf of
>> Sivasubramanian Muthusamy <isolatedn at gmail.com>
>> Reply-To: "governance at lists.igcaucus.org" <governance at lists.igcaucus.org>,
>> Sivasubramanian Muthusamy <isolatedn at gmail.com>
>> Date: Tuesday, 26 April 2016 8:20 am
>> To: "Arsene TUNGALI (Yahoo)" <arsenebaguma at yahoo.fr>
>> Cc: Said Zazai <saidsemail at gmail.com>, "governance at lists.igcaucus.org" <
>> governance at lists.igcaucus.org>, "Bits bestbits at lists.bestbits.net" <
>> bestbits at lists.bestbits.net>
>> Subject: Re: [governance] GPS mandatory on all mobile phones to be
>> manufactured in India.
>>
>> Dear Arsene,
>>
>> GPS makes navigation precise for the common man, and is of ample help in
>> finding one's way even while walking in the streets. Parents could use GPS
>> to ensure that their children are within safe bounds, and there are several
>> such positive uses. Law and Order agencies would certainly find it easier
>> to track the elusive criminals and other elements.
>>
>> But the idea of surveillance over an entire population in order to
>> enhance Law and Order capabilities over a just a few targets is a
>> disturbing idea.  Besides raising privacy concerns for the common man, it
>> causes a totally different kind of security problem for the average person,
>> whose whereabouts are not only known to responsible officers of Law, but to
>> a multitude of others who do find a way to access this data.
>>
>> Sivasubramanian M
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 2:29 AM, Arsene TUNGALI (Yahoo) <
>> arsenebaguma at yahoo.fr> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Siva and Said,
>>>
>>> Thanks for raising this issue and for sharing your thoughts and
>>> experience re: free wifi, surveilliance and gps chips.
>>>
>>> Privacy is at stake here.
>>>
>>> However, i would love to hear from you if there is any positivity that
>>> can be found in this practice. Is there any positive effect of having GPS
>>> in all phones?
>>>
>>> I would love to hear from you and anyone else interested in this topic.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> A
>>>
>>>
>>> ---------------------
>>> Arsene Tungali,
>>> IGC Co-coordinator
>>> @arsenebaguma
>>> +243 993810967 <+243%20993810967> (DRCongo)
>>> Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone <https://yho.com/footer0> (excuse typos
>>> and brievity)
>>>
>>>
>>> On Monday, April 25, 2016, 5:56 PM, Said Zazai <saidsemail at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I was in Delhi last week and I was surprised to see that Free Wifi was
>>> given at the cost of giving away your mobile phone number which in turns is
>>> registered with a government ID usually. As a tourist with no active Indian
>>> number, wifi was not free for me. I understand that free wifi is not a
>>> mandatory thing to have but a general practice in non-military or
>>> non-surveillance states is that there is some level of free internet at
>>> airports, shopping malls, coffee shops etc., which makes life a lot easier.
>>>
>>> The mandatory gps chip in phones is yet another method of monitoring
>>> general public. I believe the government must have a reason to monitor or
>>> track an individual. Imagine someone walking right behind you and make
>>> notes of what you buy, how much you buy them for, where you buy them, who
>>> you talk to and what you talk to them. As a child I would get highly
>>> uncomfortable when the bakery store owner would conclude that we had guests
>>> at home if i would buy more breads than usual and vice versa. The
>>> government does not need to monitor all its citizens but only criminals and
>>> those suspicious but in a transparent manner and within legal framework.
>>>
>>> The enemy creation or exaggeration has allowed governments in India,
>>> Pakistan, Afghanistan and many others i'm sure, to invest in technology
>>> that allows them to invade our privacy and general public sell their
>>> privacy for national security. For as long as their is an "enemy" there
>>> will be government tracking us down to save us.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 7:25 PM, Sivasubramanian M <isolatedn at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The government of India today made it mandatory for all mobile phone
>>>> makers to install GPS chip sets in handsets from 2018
>>>>
>>>> <https://twitter.com/CNBCTV18News/status/724611179956436992>
>>>> https://twitter.com/CNBCTV18News/status/724611179956436992
>>>>
>>>> Is this right from a privacy point of view?  Also, while in enhances
>>>> the ability of Governments to track the movements of its citizens, it
>>>> exposes the mobile user to severe security risks, as the GPS data is
>>>> accessible and usable by a multitude of mobile applications, so the
>>>> whereabouts of a mobile phone user is easily tracked by criminals as well.
>>>>
>>>> Sivasubramanian M
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Sivasubramanian M <https://www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy>
>>>>
>>>> ____________________________________________________________
>>>> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>>>>      governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>>>> To be removed from the list, visit:
>>>>       <http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing>
>>>> http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>>>>
>>>> For all other list information and functions, see:
>>>>       <http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance>
>>>> http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
>>>> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>>>>       <http://www.igcaucus.org/>http://www.igcaucus.org/
>>>>
>>>> Translate this email: <http://translate.google.com/translate_t>
>>>> http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Said Zazai
>>> P: +93.70.8064251
>>> E: saidsemail at gmail.com
>>> L:af.linkedin.com/in/saidzazai
>>> T: @smzazai <http://www.twitter.com/smzazai>
>>> ____________________________________________________________
>>> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>>>     governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>>> To be removed from the list, visit:
>>>     <http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing>
>>> http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>>>
>>> For all other list information and functions, see:
>>>     <http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance>
>>> http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
>>> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>>>     <http://www.igcaucus.org/>http://www.igcaucus.org/
>>>
>>> Translate this email: <http://translate.google.com/translate_t>
>>> http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Sivasubramanian M <https://www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy>
>> ------------------------------
>> CONFIDENTIALITY: This email is intended solely for the person(s) named
>> and may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended
>> recipient, please delete it, notify us and do not copy, use, or disclose
>> its contents.
>> Towards a sustainable earth: Print only when necessary. Thank you.
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>>     governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>> To be removed from the list, visit:
>>     http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>>
>> For all other list information and functions, see:
>>     http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
>> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>>     http://www.igcaucus.org/
>>
>> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>>
>>
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>>      governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>> To be removed from the list, visit:
>>      http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>>
>> For all other list information and functions, see:
>>      http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
>> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>>      http://www.igcaucus.org/
>>
>> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>>
>>
>
>>
>
>


-- 
Sivasubramanian M <https://www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.igcaucus.org/pipermail/governance/attachments/20160426/cc460180/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.igcaucus.org
To be removed from the list, visit:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing

For all other list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/

Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t


More information about the Governance mailing list