juggodish
asked on
cell phone tracking
is it possible to use a person's cell phone to track where they are or the general area in which they are at all times? what would one need to know to do this if possible? and can it be prevented?
ASKER
make that 500
that article talks about how you can find your friends and how you can hide from them!
Go AT&T Go!!!!!!!!
:) SD
Go AT&T Go!!!!!!!!
:) SD
ASKER
well i dont have an at&t cell. but i think someone is tracking it.
It is possible to track phones. In the UK, there are a number of "premium" services coming out that interogate the network operators to return a lat/lon of the cell that the phone is currently in + an error possibility (like the size of the cell!!!). Accuracy is from 200m to 15km! Also unlikely to give bearing/sig strength, so potential for error is enormous. Triangulation is possible, but so far restricted to the network operators themselves prehaps in colusion with the police.
In the UK it is "illegal" to track someone's phone that that person had not agreed to have tracked. I might imagine that it'd be the same except in the case of emergency/law-enforcement agencies?
I think in the States, it'll soon become mandatory for all mobiles to be tracked as a matter of course? Plus the acuracy will need to be almost GPS levels.
As a matter of course, your phone will be being tracked by the network you use & there is nothing that you can do about it - otherwise your phone will not work. Whether they are actually watching you as you go on your lawful business, then I don't know.
The only way to avoid tracking is to turn your phone off & only use it when you need to. Prehaps get a paging service to page you any messages and then respond to them. However, as you soon as you log on, then they'll know where you are.
In the UK it is "illegal" to track someone's phone that that person had not agreed to have tracked. I might imagine that it'd be the same except in the case of emergency/law-enforcement agencies?
I think in the States, it'll soon become mandatory for all mobiles to be tracked as a matter of course? Plus the acuracy will need to be almost GPS levels.
As a matter of course, your phone will be being tracked by the network you use & there is nothing that you can do about it - otherwise your phone will not work. Whether they are actually watching you as you go on your lawful business, then I don't know.
The only way to avoid tracking is to turn your phone off & only use it when you need to. Prehaps get a paging service to page you any messages and then respond to them. However, as you soon as you log on, then they'll know where you are.
You can track a phone, sure, but to do it effectivly at this time you have to be the phone company to do it. What cell service are you on, and what makes you think you are being tracked?
A couple of things, the cell provieder has to know what tower your phone is using, so within that repect all cell phones are tracked. Some providers have GPS data collected by the phone, and you can choose to turn that off on the phone its self, as to if you want it on all the time, or if it should be on just for emergency calls. This does no good if your phone can't get a GPS signal. Some providers place Radio Direction finding equipment in their cell towers. This gives them an accurate bead on your location, regardless of the GPS signal availability.
The accuracy of the system will vary, but should be within a block or so. For the paraniod, it is more likely in my mind that if you are being tracked it is via a tracking device, or by survailance.
Quash, if they really are out to get me am I paranoid?
A couple of things, the cell provieder has to know what tower your phone is using, so within that repect all cell phones are tracked. Some providers have GPS data collected by the phone, and you can choose to turn that off on the phone its self, as to if you want it on all the time, or if it should be on just for emergency calls. This does no good if your phone can't get a GPS signal. Some providers place Radio Direction finding equipment in their cell towers. This gives them an accurate bead on your location, regardless of the GPS signal availability.
The accuracy of the system will vary, but should be within a block or so. For the paraniod, it is more likely in my mind that if you are being tracked it is via a tracking device, or by survailance.
Quash, if they really are out to get me am I paranoid?
ASKER
Quash,
I am by no means a paranoid person. At least i dont think so haha. the person i beleive is tracking the phone does have alot of knowledge aboput this kind of thing. If this person has the ability to "hack" into the phone company's computers, could he theoretically have the abiltity to find out where i am or where my phone is at any given time? I am not seriously worried about this but just wanted to get more info on the subject.
thank for the help
I am by no means a paranoid person. At least i dont think so haha. the person i beleive is tracking the phone does have alot of knowledge aboput this kind of thing. If this person has the ability to "hack" into the phone company's computers, could he theoretically have the abiltity to find out where i am or where my phone is at any given time? I am not seriously worried about this but just wanted to get more info on the subject.
thank for the help
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
You don't have to work as part of the phone company or 'hack' into their computers to track a *GPS* cell phone. Tower tracking is what the traditional tracking solutions based on, but with the new phones with the gps chipset like Motorola iDEN i730, you can just run the phone-side software to obtain the location and report to the server. This requires the phone side permission and a constant data connection though. I believe Nextel is one of the carriers supporting this and there are a few companies doing the software. Details and a sample of how it works: http://accutracking.com/faqs.html. Note this soluction is limited by phone's gps capability and AT&T doesn't support it AFAIK.
juggodish,
The only way you can "read" the position from a GPS enable phone is decoding the Layer 3 messaging, specifically the IS-801 messages. Right now all the wireless operators in the US are trying to meet the deadline set by the FCC regarding the enhanced 911 (E911). As far as I know, only the CDMA operators (and apparently iDEN as well) are using a handset solution whereas the GSM operators are using a network based solution.
Theoretically, the system is aware of the phone's position only when 911 has been dialed and the switch routes the call to the PSAP of the county where the call is taking place. An important note is that true GPS position is only possible while generating the call outdoors, in an indoor environment another method is performed based on triangulation of the known position of the base stations that are serving the call.
Cheers
The only way you can "read" the position from a GPS enable phone is decoding the Layer 3 messaging, specifically the IS-801 messages. Right now all the wireless operators in the US are trying to meet the deadline set by the FCC regarding the enhanced 911 (E911). As far as I know, only the CDMA operators (and apparently iDEN as well) are using a handset solution whereas the GSM operators are using a network based solution.
Theoretically, the system is aware of the phone's position only when 911 has been dialed and the switch routes the call to the PSAP of the county where the call is taking place. An important note is that true GPS position is only possible while generating the call outdoors, in an indoor environment another method is performed based on triangulation of the known position of the base stations that are serving the call.
Cheers
Question just wanted to add on this one my friend showed me this on a non GPS phone
so what they using on this one then?
he sent a sms to the service
said ok
and he got the report on the where abouts the phone was
is there some thing like this within the usa where you dont have a GPS the track a phone
so what they using on this one then?
he sent a sms to the service
said ok
and he got the report on the where abouts the phone was
is there some thing like this within the usa where you dont have a GPS the track a phone
Given a phone with a GPS and SMS capability: One could write a phone side applicaiton that would interrogate the GPS funciton to obtain location data. This data could then be sent via the SMS funtion to a remote server for location processing. This is an alternative to hoping that the wireless carrier might do something useful with GPS function now in most new cell phones. It would also bypass the premimum charges that want to assess for using the function. The trick is getting the API or SDK from the phone manufacturer to create the solution. I have tried and it is not readily available. The fact is, that the old phones could be traced to a registered cell. The new phones can be traced to more exact GPS co-ordinates. Check out the work being done by http://www.networksinmotion.com/products/AtlasTrack/index.html as an example.
I know this is an old thread, but really.... Try this soloution : http://www.track-your-partner.com
Free of charge, and you might be suprised what your partner is doing right now! ;-)
/Lasse
Free of charge, and you might be suprised what your partner is doing right now! ;-)
/Lasse
track your partner link did not work
webstep: Is your friend on O2 by any chance?
There's a very well hidden "opt-out" location number on their privacy page.
"FAQS on other related issues
a) Location information
b) How can you avoid receiving SPAM?
a) Location Information
Some web and mobile telephone services that you use from your O2 mobile may require us to disclose information about the location of your mobile phone to third parties. By using location-based services such as 'Find My Nearest ATM' or 'Friend Finder', you consent to O2 disclosing your information to third parties required to provide you with the service. The information that we provide to third parties will be an approximate location only.
However if do not wish your location to be disclosed for some or all services, please call our Location Services Privacy Controller (LSPC) by dialing 1300, free of charge from your O2 mobile (for non-O2 customers, please contact your network provider). If you have contacted the LSPC and decided to withhold your location information you may not be able to access certain services that require this information.
Location Services Privacy Controller (LSPC)
You can control how the location of your mobile is used to provide you with services by dialing the LSPC on 1300, free of charge from your O2 mobile.
You can choose a location status from the list below by following the voice prompts
a. You can be found by all location services, including those that allow other user to find you. These services may include those such as "Find a buddy" type services where you and your friends can find each other
b. You can be found by all location services that you use from your own mobile.
These services will only locate you each time you use the service, by calling or sending a text message for example
c. You can be found by all O2 location services but not by services that require your location to be disclosed to any third party services
You cannot be found by any location services, except by the emergency services in the event that you make an emergency call from your mobile."
http://www.o2.co.uk/privacy.html
There's a very well hidden "opt-out" location number on their privacy page.
"FAQS on other related issues
a) Location information
b) How can you avoid receiving SPAM?
a) Location Information
Some web and mobile telephone services that you use from your O2 mobile may require us to disclose information about the location of your mobile phone to third parties. By using location-based services such as 'Find My Nearest ATM' or 'Friend Finder', you consent to O2 disclosing your information to third parties required to provide you with the service. The information that we provide to third parties will be an approximate location only.
However if do not wish your location to be disclosed for some or all services, please call our Location Services Privacy Controller (LSPC) by dialing 1300, free of charge from your O2 mobile (for non-O2 customers, please contact your network provider). If you have contacted the LSPC and decided to withhold your location information you may not be able to access certain services that require this information.
Location Services Privacy Controller (LSPC)
You can control how the location of your mobile is used to provide you with services by dialing the LSPC on 1300, free of charge from your O2 mobile.
You can choose a location status from the list below by following the voice prompts
a. You can be found by all location services, including those that allow other user to find you. These services may include those such as "Find a buddy" type services where you and your friends can find each other
b. You can be found by all location services that you use from your own mobile.
These services will only locate you each time you use the service, by calling or sending a text message for example
c. You can be found by all O2 location services but not by services that require your location to be disclosed to any third party services
You cannot be found by any location services, except by the emergency services in the event that you make an emergency call from your mobile."
http://www.o2.co.uk/privacy.html
ASKER