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> What are people using VPNs for mostly, if they're living in a country without internet censorship? I find it's a convenient way to prevent services beyond my
by topdancing 4y ago
> What are people using VPNs for mostly, if they're living in a country without internet censorship?
I find it's a convenient way to prevent services beyond my ISP from knowing where am I based on IP address.
All of those apps you have on your devices presumably have permanent connections back to their servers and they can very easily tell if you're at home, out on mobile data, in an office, or in a cafe/public library or even in a different country.
With a VPN, they currently think I'm in Dallas; which I'm nowhere near right now.
- 0daystock 4y agoMany apps on your phone are entitled to read WiFi SSID's, mapping your location as accurately as GPS - and indoors, too! Go ahead and google "where am I" with a native Android/iOS search app with your VPN enabled, you may be surprised by the results. Not to mention accelerometers and other sensors can reliably predict your movement and location, too.
- topdancing 4y agoThey do not have such an entitlement: https://grapheneos.org/faq#hardware-identifiers https://grapheneos.org/faq#hardware-identifiers (edit: and also: https://grapheneos.org/usage#wifi-privacy https://grapheneos.org/usage#wifi-privacy ) And the only app that has access to GPS on my device is: https://organicmaps.app/ https://organicmaps.app/ And Googling "where am I" indeed shows me at my VPN exit [with my always-on and enforced VPN].
- 0daystock 4y agoCurious (since you mentioned grapheneOS) whether you have Play Services on your device? The results I expected assumed you would. Thanks.