295
This Company Will Add Phone, AirPod, and Smartwatch Trackers to License Plate Readers
(www.404media.co)
this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2026
295 points (99.7% liked)
Technology
85274 readers
4160 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related news or articles.
- Be excellent to each other!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
- Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.
Approved Bots
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
... why, tho? Is this just an end run around the telcos, who can already get all that information but charge for it and they don't wanna pay?
It's because law enforcement needs way less oversight to search a database through a subscription service than to get phone data from the telcos.
likely it all goes back to use palantir , im not surprised if this is connect to the palantir AI somehow.
It's a good habit to keep your phone on airplane mode when you can. It also saves on battery.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a mobile phone?
I have a machine through which people can contact me at any time and set it up in such way that they cannot contact me.
If you have WiFi everything still works.
No, I can not receive calls or sms in airplane mode, even with WiFi enabled.
Skill issue. (Kidding, mostly.)
+1 Phone on airplane mode (eliminates WiFi/BT cellular & GPS tracking)
run physical mobile hotspot device for data (like Calyx hotspot - +2pts of you pick Moxee model to also run rayhunter)
connect to hotspot over WiFi with random MAC addresses (effectively eliminates IMSI tracking)
Enable a solid VPN. (Helps hide location and other usage)
Use chat/text/phone apps over WiFi (eliminates carrier tracking)
+5 for degoogled OS with profiles capability
+3 for Firefox forks like Librewolf or Waterfox with Port Authority and Privacy Badger
EDIT: btw the tech from the article is called SingleTrace...
Pretty sure I can't use VoWiFi without at least a sim card. How are you going to do that without carrier tracking?
Or are you implying I should be a recluse who can't be reached via phone?
I've gone the route of setting up my own XMPP server, using jmp.chat to get a new mobile number, and using Cheogram as my client. Works really well for my alt OS phone. You can use Cheogram, Conversations, Snikket, Jabber, etc. You won't be able to use VoLTE or RCS, but I've invited friends to my server instance and just tell them it's a new chat app better than Signal so it has OMEMO e2ee, but you can also text regular phones numbers, too.
Doesn't this ultimately just make an IMSI available anyway? Or am I missing something here?
It would only expose the IMSI of the hotspot I believe, since that's a SIM card ID, I believe the IMEI would possibly be exposed, but you could also use a VPN to help. It's been a while, but check this out: https://inv.nadeko.net/RyirQOCUUK8?__goaway_challenge=js-refresh&__goaway_id=47dd286e4b20d07c3f900fbb588ada2e&__goaway_referer=https%3A%2F%2Finv.nadeko.net%2F&t=3
Does it also disable BT low energy?
BLE would fall under BT, so I would think so. Airplane mode would disable all radios.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39977355
Does it work on it too?
I guess the real issue after thinking on it, there's no way to disable the wearable's BLE/BT as those are always on. You might have to power it off to truly disable... According to a few different sites, disabling BT would also disable BLE as is the same chipset, but again that's only your phone.
Even though I use GadgetBridge for my wearable, I think I'm ready to get rid of it all together. I don't need to count my steps after all nor heart rate, etc 😅
My old phone is still Android 12, if I enable Airplane mode, WiFi, cell, BT turn off immediately. Idk About newer OSes like that says. You could maybe it's a different phone with BLE to test scanning for other devices?? Idk, I gotta look into this one now! TY for sharing.
A little overkill for most people.
There's no IMSI tracking through WiFi afaik, only cell service.
Airplane mode, VPN, and messaging apps is pretty good. I believe randomized MAC is the default on Android so no need to modify there. (Though it's nice to disable that on your home network so you can track yourself.)
Could be overkill, but if you're out and about your cell data is likely on. Then what? Now, my phone, my laptop, or other devices can utilize it. Unlimited data.
How's that different from just running the hotspot on your phone?
Your phone as a hotspot still uses the data plan, so all the data you don't want going out still goes out. Using a hotspot eliminates a lot of the background data (set as metered network or use NetGuard, etc)
Check out for more details, it's been a while. It's taken me months to test this all out as I took my time, but works well
https://inv.nadeko.net/RyirQOCUUK8?__goaway_challenge=js-refresh&__goaway_id=47dd286e4b20d07c3f900fbb588ada2e&__goaway_referer=https%3A%2F%2Finv.nadeko.net%2F&t=3
I've been inefficiently and lazily looking for something that can automatically turn the mobile network on and off again once per hour (or other period of time, potentially even randomized times).
I have been turning my phone off every time I go to the grocer because I firsthand verified that they have BLE beacons in use.
If you're on Android then Tasker can definitely do it. Some manufacturers such as Samsung have similar features built in now too.
You just need the worlds smallest most compact faraday container that you can easily stow it in or special faraday pocketed pants lol
I mean, turning it off does the job and is easier.
And saves battery, don’t forget.
Not having one saves you money
🧠
The telcos already offer geotracking as a subscription service to LE orgs tho. It's genuinely the same thing, except this data will be crappier and need more direct municipal involvement.
they’ll have access to it without warrants. that is the entire point.
Since when does your telecom know your license plate?
Two ways: