{"id":18097,"date":"2026-07-21T09:21:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T16:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=18097"},"modified":"2026-07-21T09:21:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T16:21:24","slug":"private-companies-are-tracking-your-location-without-notice-or-a-warrant-and-its-all-perfectly-legal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2026\/07\/21\/private-companies-are-tracking-your-location-without-notice-or-a-warrant-and-its-all-perfectly-legal\/","title":{"rendered":"Private Companies Are Tracking Your Location Without Notice or a Warrant \u2014 and It’s All Perfectly Legal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve already covered SignalTrace<\/a>, or signal tracking which is much worse than Flock ALPR cameras and their ilk, but this article is a good overview with a couple interesting tidbits on how Bluetooth 6 and WiFi 7 can locate exactly where devices are within a coverage area. And remember that it can track vehicles through tire pressure sensors, cellular and WiFi if equipped… It’s tedious, but I put my phone in Airplane mode when entering business with my phone in my pocket or traveling unless I’m using Bluetooth for music, podcasts, or audiobooks. And I always keep location off unless using it for navigation on a road trip to someplace I don’t know, and I also keep precise location off altogether as the GPS receiver alone is good enough and you don’t need to feed all the WiFi and Bluetooth scanning to Google. I’ve also picked up a supported phone and started using LineageOS to limit my Google exposure… There is a slight possibility here in Wyoming we’ll have some privacy rights<\/a> to limit the surveillance state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.theblaze.com\/tech\/private-companies-are-tracking-your-location-without-notice-or-a-warrant-and-it-s-all-perfectly-legal<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Moor Studio\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Zach Laidlaw<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yes, they’re handing your data over to law enforcement.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bluetooth seems harmless enough. It connects your phone to your car stereo to play music or pairs your fitness tracker with your phone to relay data. But did you know Bluetooth hides a hidden danger that could expose your location? Even worse, private companies and law enforcement can use this exploit to monitor your activity without giving notice or obtaining a warrant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your phone tattles on you in public (even if you don\u2019t know it)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By its own admission, a marketing technology company called Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions<\/a> revealed that it can use Bluetooth and WiFi to \u201cidentify people of interest by the signals emitted from their electronic devices they travel with\u201d through a service called SignalTrace<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its immense power can easily be abused to follow practically anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All electronic devices emit signals that exchange data and information. Cellular data connects to local cellphone towers in the area. WiFi connects to the nearest router in a building. Bluetooth talks to other devices within the vicinity, just in case it needs to send or receive a message, a photo, or a song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These technologies are especially precise these days. For instance, Bluetooth 6.0, the latest version of this protocol, features<\/a> proximity-level location tracking that can pinpoint the position of a target device down to 10cm. At the same time, WiFi 7 includes<\/a> indoor device positioning that can help identify the placement of a device inside buildings. Together, they offer powerful location-tracking capabilities that reveal where a device exists in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a marketing perspective, this kind of technology is used in combination with Bluetooth Low Energy beacons for proximity marketing campaigns. BLE beacons are tiny devices that can be placed<\/a> on store shelves beside certain products. When you walk beside the product, the beacon notices your phone and sends a notification or discount code for that item directly to your device via Bluetooth. It\u2019s a clever marketing tool, and while it\u2019s a bit creepy, it\u2019s virtually harmless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, groups like Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions can also gather this data and hand it over<\/a> to law enforcement to create digital profiles of people of interest. Targets can include anyone from suspected criminals to the average citizen who\u2019s simply trying to mind his or her own business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which devices are trackable with SignalTrace?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wondering which electronic devices are most likely to reveal your location, the sad truth is that it\u2019s most of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Moor Studio\/Getty Images<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Virtually any gadget with a WiFi and\/or Bluetooth connection can be tracked. Here\u2019s just a quick list of the types of devices that may reveal your public whereabouts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n