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Your Smartphone pics can lead TPTB or stalkers right to your door.

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posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 05:55 PM
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This is scary stuff here.

If you post a pic online you took with your Smartphone, its likely that anyone can find out exactly where you took that pic and use that info to track you to your home!

Something like this could lead TPTB right to your front door or allow pedophiles to track down your kids bedrooms from the pics you posted of them online!





In short, metadata is more data about data. In most common document types, embedded within a file is more information, typically hidden from casual viewing. This hidden data is used by the computer programs to provide accurate processing information, i.e. what version of software was used to create the document, how the file is encoded, and often who created it.

About Geotagging

The storage of location based data, in the form of Latitude and Longitude inside of images is called Geotagging; essentially tagging your photograph with the geographic location. This data is stored inside if the metadata if JPEG images and is useful for tying the photograph to a location. Want to remember exactly where you took those photographs while on vacation? This information is for you.

However, most modern digital cameras do not automatically add geolocation (Latitude and Longitude) metadata to pictures. The process for adding the geolocation data either requires specialized add on hardware, or post processing with software on the desktop after the pictures are taken.

There is a large exception to this rule: Smartphones. With the proliferation of smart phones that contain GPS locator technology inside, the cameras in these devices are already equipped with the specialized hardware to automatically add geolocation information to the pictures at the time they are taken.

icanstalku.com

The website has info on how to disable Geotagging on most Smartphones. If you have one, you better disable this feature before you take any new pics and you might want to think about removing any pics you may have put online from your Smartphone.



posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 06:09 PM
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If the powers that be controlled all the country's resources, they'd already know where you lived, would they not? Even if they did, wow, what are they gonna do?

I agree about the paedophiles or stalkers being given a new opportunity to hunt their prey though. I'd turn the feature off, but I rarely use my phone to take pictures



posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 06:55 PM
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This news story shows how they can use the pics in your camera to follow your every move throughout the day:

ABC 7 Story


Imagine how law enforcement could use your pics against you; even if you don't take any incriminating pics, they can tell where you were each time you took a new pic on your camera.

Its like them following you everywhere you go, they don't even have to attach a GPS to your car; they just have to get a hold of your phone. If any of the pics on your phone were anywhere near a crime, near the time the the crime was comitted, they can start to make a case against you, wheather you were involved in the crime or not.

Circumstancial evidence is scary, especially when its your own phone that snitches on you.
edit on 3/1/11 by FortAnthem because:



posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 08:44 PM
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posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 08:47 PM
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reply to post by FortAnthem
 


Just posting a reply on here leads them to you, it is very simple to track down a computers IP address.



posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 08:52 PM
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Originally posted by squizzy
reply to post by FortAnthem
 


Just posting a reply on here leads them to you, it is very simple to track down a computers IP address.



That's true but, posting a Smartphone pic can give them the exact coordinates of where that pic was taken. They can learn where you live, where you shop and where are the places you like to go all by looking at the pics you post online. Its like putting a tracking collar on you.

Its not only TPTB that can do this; stalkers and bill collectors could use this to know where to harass you about debts or snatch away your children.

It makes you wonder why they call them "Smartphones"?



posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 09:04 PM
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reply to post by Beavis
 


lol



posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 09:12 PM
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Problem with all this is,...who really cares where you are, or, smart enough to get the precise location of you ?
Like any weapon, your accesibilty to it, is what really matters. If you commit alot of crimes, I would suppose if my local law enforcement used this geotracker, I would be impressed. Heck a guy beating his wife to death actually accidentally turned on his own cell, and called her phone, and left the details of all his doing's on her message answer service. Took them 8 weeks to figure that one out.



posted on Mar, 1 2011 @ 11:27 PM
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reply to post by FortAnthem
 


On the other hand, if you wanted to commit a crime, give your phone to an accomplice, and have him take photos etc far away from the crime you are perpetrating!!

digital alibi......



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 12:18 AM
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If you're in a situation where you need to avoid being tracked at all costs, taking pics with your phone is probably the last thing on your mind anyways. Anyways, somebody who doesn't know about this also most likely wouldn't be somebody who knows enough to disappear otherwise and would be tracked down regardless.



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 03:16 PM
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Originally posted by MommaDuke
Heck a guy beating his wife to death actually accidentally turned on his own cell, and called her phone, and left the details of all his doing's on her message answer service. Took them 8 weeks to figure that one out.



It took the police 8 weeks to solve that crime even with the whole thing recorded on her message service?

Those are some slow cops you got there.



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 03:55 PM
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This stuff is only scary if you don't understand it.
The location recorded for the photo is generally where you actually do the upload from, not where the photo was taken.... so just do the upload from somewhere other than your home.

Besides, I don't worry about it much. Does anyone really care where I took a photo of a sunset or a street scene?



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 04:43 PM
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reply to post by LS650
 


According to the news stories, the Smartphone records the coordinates of the location where the picture is taken through the GPS inside the phone. In one news story, they show how one person went out and took pics during her daily routine and they were able to track where she had been that day from the pics she took.



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 07:14 PM
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reply to post by FortAnthem
 


It's not hard to disable the GPS functionality of your phone while you take a picture. If nothing else, a person could remove the SIM card while they take pictures if they're that paranoid about it.



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 08:34 PM
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Originally posted by warbird03
reply to post by FortAnthem
 


It's not hard to disable the GPS functionality of your phone while you take a picture. If nothing else, a person could remove the SIM card while they take pictures if they're that paranoid about it.



The icanstalku link I provided above has instructions for disabling the function in most smart phones.

The problem is, most people don't know their phones are giving away their every move to anyone who views their pics online. I'm just doing my part to get the info out there.



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 08:45 PM
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packetstormsecurity.org...


Creepy Geolocation Gathering Tool 0.1.8
Posted Feb 22, 2011 Authored by Yiannis Kakavas | Site ilektrojohn.github.com creepy is an application that allows you to gather geolocation related information about users from social networking platforms and image hosting services. The information is presented in a map inside the application where all the retrieved data is shown, accompanied with relevant information (i.e. what was posted from that specific location) to provide context to the presentation. Changes: This release adds a feature to export retrieved locations as kmz files (opens in Google Earth and Google Maps). It adds a progress bar for the retrieval process. It adds a help menu. tags | tool systems | unix MD5 | c4d22122ab7b56bfb54bff76f9c5df4a


ilektrojohn.github.com...








posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 08:49 PM
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reply to post by FortAnthem
 


True but like I said before, most people who don't know they can be tracked through their phones will most likely get themselves caught in other ways regardless.



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 08:51 PM
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I turn my GPS on and regularly take pictures so they know I did not do what they might think I did


Only "CRIMINALS" need to worry



posted on Mar, 2 2011 @ 09:10 PM
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Originally posted by SANTA CLAWS
Only "CRIMINALS" need to worry


If only that were true.



posted on Mar, 3 2011 @ 09:06 PM
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reply to post by SANTA CLAWS
 


Youmean phones can actually take photos? wow. Can't wait for the day I get a personal badge phone like captain Kirk rofl.
Sorry sir I was in alpha venturas at the time, look my phone said so.......Scotty beamed me up 5 minutes earlier lol







 
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