How GPS Actually Works on Your Phone (not what you think)
Summary
TLDRThis video script clarifies misconceptions about GPS function on modern smartphones, explaining how it operates and its evolution from military to civilian use. It details the GPS technology, the role of additional global positioning systems like Galileo and GLONASS, and the privacy implications of location data emitted by phones. The script also delves into the mechanics of GPS signal reception, the use of Wi-Fi for location triangulation, and the continuous data leakage to tech giants like Google and Apple, offering insights into privacy concerns and potential solutions.
Takeaways
- 📡 Most people are unaware of how GPS functions and the potential privacy issues it may bring.
- 🛰️ GPS relies on signals from 24 satellites orbiting Earth, each transmitting their position and synchronized time.
- 📍 A GPS device calculates its position by receiving signals from at least four satellites, using triangulation and time synchronization.
- 🔒 GPS devices are receivers and do not emit data; they rely on signals from satellites, not the other way around.
- 🌐 Besides the US GPS, there are other global positioning systems like Galileo, BeiDou, GLONASS, and QZSS, contributing to a more robust positioning.
- 📲 Modern smartphones use a standardized GPS chip, often part of a combined Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS system on a chip (SoC).
- 🏠 GPS signals are weak and do not penetrate buildings, making indoor navigation challenging without additional technologies.
- 📶 It's possible to block GPS signals by creating noise in the frequencies used by GPS, which can be done with simple equipment.
- 📡 GPS data from phones can be enhanced by SUPL (Secure User Plane Location), which uses cell tower data to improve GPS signal acquisition speed.
- 🔍 Wi-Fi scanning is used for precise location tracking, especially indoors, by identifying nearby Wi-Fi routers and their MAC addresses.
- 🔒 Google and Apple maintain databases of Wi-Fi routers and their locations, enabling them to determine the user's location with high accuracy.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is explaining how GPS functions on a modern phone, addressing misconceptions, and discussing privacy issues associated with GPS usage.
How many GPS satellites are there, and what do they transmit?
-There are 24 GPS satellites that constantly transmit their position coordinates and the exact time associated with the location, synchronized to an atomic clock.
Why does a GPS device need data from at least four satellites to compute a position fix?
-A GPS device needs data from at least four satellites to triangulate the position and one additional satellite for time synchronization, ensuring precision in the position fix.
What is the role of the fourth satellite in the GPS system?
-The fourth satellite is used to verify the time synchronization, as the position fix is computed based on the time it takes for the signal to reach the device from the three other satellites.
Why do GPS signals not work well indoors?
-GPS signals are very weak radio waves and do not have enough power to penetrate through roofs or walls, making them ineffective for indoor use.
Outlines
📡 Understanding GPS and Privacy Concerns
This paragraph addresses common misconceptions about GPS, explaining how it functions on modern phones compared to older devices. It clarifies that GPS does not continuously broadcast one's location to satellites. The narrator will delve into the original GPS technology, which was military-based and has since evolved, and discuss the global positioning satellite system created by the US, consisting of 24 satellites that transmit their positions and timestamps. The paragraph emphasizes that GPS devices are receivers of data, not emitters, and that the process of triangulation using signals from at least four satellites allows for precise location fixing.
🛰️ GPS Technology and its Evolution
The second paragraph discusses the GPS receivers in modern smartphones, which are typically standardized chips, often made by Broadcom, integrated into the phone's motherboard. It explains that the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is now the term used instead of GPS, as it encompasses all available satellite systems, not just the US's. The paragraph also touches on the historical accuracy restrictions of GPS for civilian use, which have since been lifted, and the importance of accurate GPS signals for modern applications like autonomous vehicles. Additionally, it covers the concept of GPS signal blocking and the potential privacy implications of GPS signal manipulation.
📶 GPS, Cell Towers, and Wi-Fi Triangulation
This paragraph explores the role of cell towers and Wi-Fi in enhancing GPS functionality. It introduces Supple, a feature now owned by Google, which uses the nearest cell tower data to quickly determine a device's location. The paragraph also explains how Wi-Fi scanning contributes to location accuracy, particularly in indoor environments where GPS signals are weak. It details the process of Wi-Fi triangulation, where the MAC addresses of nearby Wi-Fi routers are used in conjunction with signal strength to pinpoint a device's location. The narrator highlights the privacy concerns associated with this data collection and the fact that major tech companies like Google and Apple maintain extensive databases of Wi-Fi routers and their locations.
🔒 Privacy and the Constant Emission of GPS Data
The final paragraph delves into the privacy implications of the constant emission of GPS data by smartphones. It explains that while the GPS itself is not the main privacy concern, the internet connection on a phone is, as it allows for the continuous transmission of location data. The paragraph discusses the inability to stop this data transmission on standard phones and the potential for tech companies to track user movements. It contrasts this with devices like the Brax 2 phone, which does not communicate location data to Google, offering a more private alternative. The narrator concludes by promoting products designed to protect privacy, such as the Brax 2 phone, VPN services, and email solutions that eliminate metadata.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡GPS
💡satellites
💡triangulation
💡GNSS
💡Broadcom
💡Wi-Fi triangulation
💡SUPL
💡atomic clock
💡privacy concerns
💡Brax2 phone
Highlights
Most people are unaware of how GPS functions and its associated privacy issues.
The GPS function on modern phones has evolved significantly from the 2000s.
The original GPS system was created by the US with 24 satellites transmitting their positions and synchronized times.
GPS devices compute a position fix by triangulating signals from at least four satellites.
Other countries have developed their own global positioning systems, such as Galileo, BeiDou, and GLONASS.
Modern smartphones use a standardized GPS chip, often made by Broadcom, integrated with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
GPS signals are weak and can be easily blocked by creating noise in the frequencies used by GPS.
Supple (Secure User Plane Location) is a feature owned by Google that improves GPS location accuracy by using cell tower data.
Wi-Fi scanning is used for location tracking, especially indoors where GPS signals are weak.
Google and Apple maintain databases of Wi-Fi routers' MAC addresses and their exact locations for precise location tracking.
Standard phones continuously emit GPS location data, which can be stored in Google's Sensor Vault.
The company behind the video creates privacy-protecting products, including the Brax 2 phone and VPN services.
Brax OS and Googled phones offer alternatives to standard phones for enhanced privacy.
Braxmill is a service that provides privacy-focused email domains and eliminates metadata from emails.
The video emphasizes the importance of understanding GPS technology and its privacy implications.
Transcripts
based on comments left in my videos I
just realized that most people do not
know how GPS works and do not know if if
there are any privacy issues associated
with the GPS function some ask questions
like is there a way to disable the GPS
chip
in this video I will focus specifically
on how GPS functions on a modern phone
it is definitely not the same as it was
in the 2000s were handheld devices were
becoming a thing
but I will focus specifically on the GPS
function on a mobile phone this is very
specific there are no GPS devices on the
computer for example not sure many know
that either yet a computer can find your
location almost as accurately as a GPS
stay right there for another learning
moment about the tech involved with the
GPS feature on your phone
[Music]
the biggest misconception by non-techies
is that your phone is beaming out your
location to the world satellites
constantly now there is some snippet of
Truth in this but not in the way most
are thinking so we will eliminate the
misconceptions because it makes the
operation of the GPS sound like it's
part of some conspiracy theory first I
will discuss the mechanics of the GPS
technology itself as it was first
created this has been modified somewhat
over the years but I'll get to that
later we will start with the base
technology which many consumers have
used since 2000 or right before that it
was used in military applications way
before that though let's talk about the
original GPS system or global
positioning satellite system as created
by the US
there are 24 satellites roaming in orbit
around the Earth
now the Flat Earth people will state
that there are no satellites so we'll
ignore that for now each satellite is
constantly transmitting its position
coordinate all the 24 satellites are
doing this together with the position
coordinates the satellite also transmits
the time associated with the location
this time is very exact each satellite
is synchronized to an atomic clock so
this will be consistent
the way a receiving GPS handheld device
gets a position is by acquiring location
data from at least four satellites again
you're receiving the location of the
satellite not your device
without a this takes a while up to a
couple of minutes since the GPS device
will listen for data
on the known frequencies used by the 24
satellites
once it captures data from four
satellites then it can compute a
position fix at the point of the
handheld device
the position fix is made by
triangulating the known positions of the
satellites to the time it takes for the
signal to reach your handheld device
as I already mentioned this is based on
an atomic clock so there's a lot of
precision in the time in milliseconds
the computation of the position is done
by the handheld device the fourth
satellite though is just used to verify
the time so three are used to
triangulate position and one satellite
for time synchronization so far you will
see that the device does not emit any
data it is just a receiver
this by the way is the same way a Sirius
XM receiver receives streaming audio
from the satellite it is received only
now it doesn't end here and there is
data that is emitted from a phone I'll
get to that later but you will discover
that the emitted data is not through the
GPS system itself in the meantime let's
expand the story there are actually
plenty more satellites than the ones
offered by GPS from the USA
in the past there were threats from the
US government that GPS signals could be
stopped during time of arm Conflict for
example so it should come as no surprise
that other countries have come up with
their own Global Positioning Systems
there are several the EU created a
system called Galileo the Chinese made a
system called Baidu and the Russians
have their own called glonass Japan also
added more satellites and their system
is called qzs now I mentioned the Flat
Earth people
it's interesting how so many different
countries
decided to fly multiple satellites to
Earth orbit without coordinating with
each other
in fact with competing interests to the
USA
hmm
okay let's move on the GPS receivers on
the phones are actually just a
standardized chip I'm guessing that most
are made by broadcom and are part of the
Wi-Fi Bluetooth GPS SOC built into phone
motherboards
and to be accurate the global
positioning module on a phone is called
gnss instead of GPS this is because the
positioning system utilizes all
positioning satellites apparently all
these countries agreed to share before
the 2000s the US GPS system had some
restrictions to accuracy for Consumer
use only the military systems had better
accuracy the USA version had an initial
accuracy of 16 feet but the Russian
glonass version was refined to 6.6 feet
today GPS signals give a more robust
position which is especially important
for self-driving cars the stated
accuracy of the new USA satellites is
within 11.8 inches so again the broadcom
Wi-Fi Bluetooth GPS chip on your phone
is doing the position fix
there is a logic to why someone would
want to combine Wi-Fi and GPS on the
same chip because in modern Computing
devices location is determined not just
by the GPS but also by Wi-Fi
now I will continue to refer to the
positioning system as GPS
although I had already told you that it
is actually referred to as gnss GPS is
more recognizable so we'll stick to that
now let her find a story further the
satellites all emit a signal which as I
said earlier is a position and timestamp
and these are on well-known and
pre-published frequencies
here's an interesting factoid the GPS
signals are very weak radio waves this
is why GPS doesn't work indoors there's
not enough power for it to go through
your roof or walls
I will add one more fact here
it is very easy to block GPS in fact you
don't even need a strong signal to block
GPS
if you create noise in the frequencies
used by a GPS you will block GPS
reception by all devices in the area
because the required noise signal would
be so weak it likely wouldn't be
detectable from a distance and thus even
if this is officially illegal in the U.S
per the FCC in reality it would be hard
to discover
there's a Channel with a hacking done on
GPS using an inexpensive SDR unit you
can just plug into your USB
as that channel States doing this is
supposed to be done in a laboratory
environment and only by someone with a
ham license with no effect of blocking
the signal for other parties this
channel is called the Danish hacker and
I will link its video in the description
it's been around a while
I believe in this video the Danish
hacker actually made the GPS detect that
he was in a different location
this is easy to do and is done simply by
increasing the gain on the local source
of GPS signal so it is stronger than the
satellite some of you will see the
Privacy advantage of this if you
implement the solution done by the
Danish hacker in your home
but I don't want to suggest to you that
you do anything illegal I personally
have a ham license so I can do this
legally as long as I don't interfere
with the signal for others
this is interesting though because in
theory we get our locations tracked not
because we ourselves are Cavalier about
location settings but our guests use our
Wi-Fi network and then emit location
information
if our guest phones get an incorrect GPS
position then it will of course protect
the location associated with our IP
address
now there's more we get to the juicy
details about how our phone emits
location data using just the GPS
there are two parts to this so let me
start with the more basic part
supple
Supple or secure user plane location is
a feature on every phone that is tied
directly to GPS use I will tell you
ahead of time that this feature is now
owned by Google
Google bought this patent so Google is
the single entity on Earth that
coordinates the data from supple
the way Supple Works your phone will
attempt to get the location off the
nearest cell tower any cell tower I
don't think even the carrier is involved
with this meaning it is Carrier agnostic
there is a list of all cell towers in
the world and their locations are
published your phone detects the
strongest cell tower signal and then
identifies that Tower and sends it over
to supple.google.com
this part is not entirely clear though
this data is sent over the internet in
many cases I hear it is possible that
this data is also sent via the carrier
if you're connected to a sales service
I suppose this makes sense as flip
phones and non-smartphones need a way to
also send data to supple.google.com so
the cell tower is the input to
supple.google.com the output or the
return data from Google are the
satellites or satellite frequencies that
are nearby by doing this the connection
to GPS becomes almost instantaneous
instead of the phone trying out every
possible frequency and listening for
satellite signals that may be out of
range
this is why old handheld GPS devices
like the original ones I had from Garmin
took around two minutes to acquire
satellites
this of course would render a phone
unusable for critical GPS use like for
car navigation
so since the Advent of smartphones
Supple has been the order of the day all
phone devices today use Supple likely
GPS and cars do so as well
the problem here from a privacy point of
view is that Google then knows roughly
where each phone is in the world at
least connecting each one to a specific
Tower
yes it is not super precise but the
massive amount of available data here
can be used to track large movements of
people for example armies just to
theorize here it would have been
possible for intelligence agencies to
see mass movements of people from the
Warner group that were headed towards
Moscow all based on Supple found data
Wi-Fi scanning
now let's move on to the more precise
way that location is tracked and
recorded using a GPS and this is
something that once again cannot be
controlled by the user just like Supple
cannot be controlled
as I mentioned earlier computers do not
have a built-in GPS but yet computers
can accurately determine your locations
how does it do that it does it by a
process called Wi-Fi translation Wi-Fi
triangulation is used to find locations
indoors where there is no GPS signal
the way it works is like this the Wi-Fi
chip in your device can look for Wi-Fi
routers in the area this has been built
into every Wi-Fi chip since 2007. before
it was a specialty feature used by
hackers
Wi-Fi routers announced themselves with
a Mac address which uniquely identifies
the router
a computer will get a list of Wi-Fi
routers in the area and it will take the
two or three strongest signals and will
pass the MAC address of these routers
and the signal strength to a network
location provider or NLP then the NLP
will take that and put and output an
exact location to within six feet
just to simplify this further there are
only two nlps that normal phones use one
is Google and the other one is Apple
so to make it clear Google and apple
both have a database of every Wi-Fi
router in existence in the world and its
exact location
each Wi-Fi router is identified by the
MAC address by giving the Mac addresses
of at least two routers to Apple or
Google they can look up the device and
compute your exact location
well you might wonder what does this
have to do with the GPS can I just say
that GPS doesn't work indoors
guess what folks how did Apple and
Google build this database of Wi-Fi
routers with their predetermined GPS
positions
that is really the interesting part and
is really the Crux of the 24 7 location
tracking if you have a Norby phone or
Google Android then when you're walking
around in this world outside your GPS is
receiving data and your phone is
connected to the internet
your phone then performs the same Wi-Fi
router detection it can do indoors but
this time it does it in reverse your
phone sends the Wi-Fi router Mac address
signal strength and the GPS position to
Apple and Google
this is done continuously and it's
crowdsourced so on your street all your
neighbors walking by your house are all
reporting the locations of your routers
and your neighborhoods routers to Apple
and Google together with a GPS position
to populate the Wi-Fi triangulation
database
you cannot stop this as there is no
switch to turn this off
assuming that Apple and Google can
identify your device and it would be
irresponsible of me to suggest that they
cannot identify your device signal by
Apple ID or Google ID then it is of
course expected that both Apple and
Google know where you are at all times
and if this wi-fi scanning stops it must
indicate that you went indoors
as I said there is no way to stop this
transmission off location to Apple and
Google if you have a Normy phone however
if you have a d Google phone meaning a
phone running AOSP Android open source
project like the Brax 2 phones then this
signal isn't being sent
it breaks two font for example does not
have any communication with Google
so they cannot possibly receive location
information
this should also be true of Linux phones
if you happen to have those particular
devices but if you have a standard phone
then assume that your GPS data is
leaking constantly
the issue isn't really the GPS itself
but your internet connection you can
assume that if your phone has no
internet connection then Wi-Fi scanning
or the GPS data leak should disappear at
least for that moment whether it caches
it in the background is another issue
this has also gotten more complicated
with iPhone since iPhones can
communicate with other iPhones using the
Apple mesh Network which supports air
tag it is possible that iPhones can
still transmit location data even when
there is no internet connection as long
as you're not in the remote areas of
Greenland where there are no other
iPhones
anyway I hope this gives you a little
bit more understanding in summary all
standard phones emit your GPS location
constantly Google stores this data in
the Google sensor Vault and from this
data 940 plus people have been charged
in the January 6 Capital rights which
prove that your phones leak GPS data
folks my company creates products that
are intended to protect our privacy we
provide phones that have no centralized
control and are invisible to Big Tech
our most popular device is the Brax 2
phone running Brax OS we also have pixel
phones that have Google removed they are
called the Googled phones
we have a VPN service by its VPN which
is a stealth VPN in that it doesn't
scream that you're on a VPN we do not
put thousands of you on a single server
we have braxmill which gives you many
domains for privacy and eliminates the
metadata from your emails this means no
IP addresses and traces on your email
that show where it came from
all these products are on the store on
my app Brax me
come visit us there the link is in the
description
thanks for watching and see you next
time
foreign
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