Re: A technical question about Google's WiFi tracking plans

["Rob, grandpa of Ryan, Trevor, Devon & Hannah" <rMslade () shaw ca>]

From:                   "Richard M. Smith" <rms () bsf-llc com>
Date sent:              Thu, 6 Apr 2006 20:09:25 -0400

> Will Google be tracking computers that have WiFi turned on, but not
> connected to the Google WiFi network?  Is there any technical reason why
> this can't be done?

A very good question, and I'm afraid I haven't looked deeply enough into the 
802.11* specs to provide a definitive answer.  In general, though, as long as your 
WiFi unit is not *completely* passive, there is no reason they can't track you.  
(Partly depending upon your definition of "turned on.")

If your system is set to "autoassociate," then you are sending data when you detect 
a network.  If you are set to autoassociate on an ad hoc basis (which I don't think 
is common) you'd be sending frequently anyway.

I suspect that they can track you more often than not.  I remember a case where a 
friend was demonstrating his new laptop to me, noting that it had wireless, and he 
could detect some networks (but, of course, wasn't trying to connect to them).  
We suddenly realized that an open browser window was, very slowly, filling in.  
The machine had created enough of a link with something to get the data off the 
net somehow ...

======================  (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer)
rslade () vcn bc ca      slade () victoria tc ca      rslade () sun soci niu edu
Without software, a computer is just a lump of plastic; whereas
*with* software, it's a lump of plastic that can permanently
destroy critical data.                                  - Dave Barry
http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm
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