How do they know? How is it possible?

[PermanentRecord2022]

Hello BHW,

Currently running a Google Pixel with mutiple profiles for marketing purposes. I am running Graphene OS.

I just received a push notification for a standardized National Alert. However, all location services are off on this phone (anything not required for it to function).

I am on Romanian Wifi but (at the exact moment of the alert) I just had happened to be a on USA proxy.

With location services off for every application, system settings, Bluetooth is off, etc....

I am just very, very, curious..... how my phone knows I am in Romania and not the USA? Is it the way these alerts get pushed out?

I supposed its not a huge deal, however for marketing purposes this raises my suspcious that I am leaking something, somewhere...

 

[hkey]

the phone can be located even if gps is switched off. the GPS switch off button on the phone only prevents applications from accessing GSP

 

[PermanentRecord2022]

the phone can be located even if gps is switched off. the GPS switch off button on the phone only prevents applications from accessing GSP

That makes sense, as I have heard some simialir things before.

I guess my question is, who can enable that location service? Because the social media platforms I am marketing to, depends on my ability to spoof my location as if I am in the USA.

Would you say this switch that can be activated is only at the higher, GOV/State levels?

 

[Gogol]

Hello BHW,

Currently running a Google Pixel with mutiple profiles for marketing purposes. I am running Graphene OS.

I just received a push notification for a standardized National Alert. However, all location services are off on this phone (anything not required for it to function).

I am on Romanian Wifi but (at the exact moment of the alert) I just had happened to be a on USA proxy.

With location services off for every application, system settings, Bluetooth is off, etc....

I am just very, very, curious..... how my phone knows I am in Romania and not the USA? Is it the way these alerts get pushed out?

I supposed its not a huge deal, however for marketing purposes this raises my suspcious that I am leaking something, somewhere...

Because it has a sim? If you remove your sim and put yourself behind a vpn, they won’t find out. Also be sure to keep the gps off.

 

[AlexanderTheGreat]

Hardware-wise, you are connected to a Romanian router and a Romanian IP. Android probably knows that you are using an additional layer in the form of a proxy.

 

[AdaEllington]

Dont us a VPN, Dont us a romanian sim card only us a mobile proxy it will hide your identity the best way.

 

[proxygo]

the phone can be located even if gps is switched off. the GPS switch off button on the phone only prevents applications from accessing GSP

this is why i use a motorola krzr ---- nothing to track. no apps

 

[silencernebunu3]

the phone can be located even if gps is switched off. the GPS switch off button on the phone only prevents applications from accessing GSP

This is right .

 

[Ashk881]

I am just very, very, curious..... how my phone knows I am in Romania and not the USA? Is it the way these alerts get pushed out?

Your phone knows where it is at any moment because it comes equipped with one fine piece of human engineering called a low energy radio transmitter.

The sole purpose of this device is to shout radiowaves that basically say "MFERS I AM HERE. MY IMEI IS ___ AND IMSI IS ___" (it's a bit more complicated then that, but that's the gist of it). These radiowaves are then recieved by another piece of engineering called a "cell site". These cell-sites have computers that store what time it received your phone's radio screams, and those IMEI and IMSI numbers.
Your phone makes these screams frequently.

Not only can these cell sites listen for these radio screams, but they can also send them. And your phone can also listen for these screams (tho, it's hearing capability is much, much weaker than the cell sites).

Everytime there's a national emergency, the government instructs every cell site to transmit an emergency message. And every mobile phone near one can recieve it.
(And no you don't need a sim card for this)

The government don't need a wifi to find where you are. You carry around a snooping device all day for them to find you.

 

[PermanentRecord2022]

Because it has a sim? If you remove your sim and put yourself behind a vpn, they won’t find out. Also be sure to keep the gps off.

USA sim tho, in Romania....?

GPS was off!

 

[PermanentRecord2022]

this is why i use a motorola krzr ---- nothing to track. no apps

That is wild. I mean, I thought Graphene would be pretty high up the todem pole of security...

However, I am using the phone to black hat market mutiple social media accounts so that is not an option.

 

[Ashk881]

That is wild. I mean, I thought Graphene would be pretty high up the todem pole of security...

However, I am using the phone to black hat market mutiple social media accounts so that is not an option.

If your phone has mobile telephony (you can make calls and SMSes etc), no Privacy OS can do shit.
You can't control what radio transmissions your phone makes. And those transmissions is what exposes you.

 

[PermanentRecord2022]

Your phone knows where it is at any moment because it comes equipped with one fine piece of human engineering called a low energy radio transmitter.

The sole purpose of this device is to shout radiowaves that basically say "MFERS I AM HERE. MY IMEI IS ___ AND IMSI IS ___" (it's a bit more complicated then that, but that's the gist of it). These radiowaves are then recieved by another piece of engineering called a "cell site". These cell-sites have computers that store what time it received your phone's radio screams, and those IMEI and IMSI numbers.
Your phone makes these screams frequently.

Not only can these cell sites listen for these radio screams, but they can also send them. And your phone can also listen for these screams (tho, it's hearing capability is much, much weaker than the cell sites).

Everytime there's a national emergency, the government instructs every cell site to transmit an emergency message. And every mobile phone near one can recieve it.
(And no you don't need a sim card for this)

The government don't need a wifi to find where you are. You carry around a snooping device all day for them to find you.

Wow thank you for this explanation. This makes a lot of sense.

I had a hunch it had something to do with radio waves, but I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything when it comes to using this for BH marketing. Wanted to be sure there wasn't a mistake on my end..... besides carrying around a self snitching locator beacon. lmao

If anyone knows of any BH Marketing Telegram groups I would love to know (in the DMs). I asked this same question on NetWork chucks discord and all I got was "sounds sus bro" and "why do you need to know" type answers with some real anal moderators.

I'm using this for completely legal, just BH marketing techniques, but the fact that they were such dorks about it turned me off to their entire little boyscout club. It would be nice to find a another chad community like this. hahah.

 

[Red9]

GSM towers can ping your phone and moreover can find your location if needed same way as GPS works and there is no permission required from you. It works like police radar.

 

[PermanentRecord2022]

If your phone has mobile telephony (you can make calls and SMSes etc), no Privacy OS can do shit.
You can't control what radio transmissions your phone makes. And those transmissions is what exposes you.

Actually it has no way to make mobile calls, just using for marketing so it's tied to Wifi only. But yes it has the ability.

But yeah the radio transmitor answer makes so much sense.

 

[Gogol]

USA sim tho, in Romania....?

GPS was off!

Are you in Romania or USA? I guess:
1) If you are in Romania, your connection is processed through local towers (your usa sim provider probably has tie up with the local provider). Hence the phone knows it is in Romania.

2) For emergency alerts it probably does not need a sim. In these cases your phone just receives local broadcasts (no idea how this would work).


This is all speculations though. I am not a tele communication expert.

Hardware-wise, you are connected to a Romanian router and a Romanian IP. Android probably knows that you are using an additional layer in the form of a proxy.

It could also be this.

 

[BellaOnlyPromo]

Most countries are very open about this kind of thing as it is a requirement to sell hardware in their country. All you need to do is ask whatever store you bought it from for more details or just google emergency sms protocol or something similar.

 

[ristoriel]

If you really want that they shouldn't be able to detect your location, you can root your mobile device and configure a 4G mobile proxy. It will make you look like you are operating from the other country as you will have the real IP address provided by the proxy.

 

[Salamouna]

The phone send signal to the nearest tower near it

 

[AlexAkimbo]

That is wild. I mean, I thought Graphene would be pretty high up the todem pole of security...

However, I am using the phone to black hat market mutiple social media accounts so that is not an option.

This has nothing to do with any OS in particular. Like someone already explained this is engineering/telecommunication thing that can override your proxy in case of an emergency. Imagine being in a hurricane zone in the time of emergency broadcast and you are on VPN. If those overrides haven't existed you'd be dead. Same goes for Amber Alert and/or other similar services.

To make it simple for you. Local cell tower (cell site) exactly knows your location in any moment no matter which SIM you have installed or whether you use VPN or not. Every cell site know because your device "pings" them all by signal strength until receives response from "home" network's cell site.

EDIT: VPN and other "proxy" solutions operate on higher OSI layers (4 and above but mostly on layer 7), while emergency services are on physical, data link or network layer (depends on implementation and network generation).