[mikeocool]

Isn't it not really possible to uniquely identify most modern bluetooth devices this way? Specifically to prevent things like this.

Unless they're hoping my AirPods are in pairing mode all of the time and they're going to track the name "mikeocool's AirPods."

[madaxe_again]

They just need to link a cluster to you in the first place - say at a toll booth or drive-thru - where ANPR is already commonly deployed.

[snailmailman]

I thought most modern Bluetooth devices essentially randomize the Bluetooth MAC address periodically, specifically to prevent this sort of tracking? And random MAC addresses too on WiFi.

[Rebelgecko]

If someone has a half dozen BT devices on their person/in their car and they randomize MACs hourly (but not all at once) I bet you could still track people pretty accurately.

[mikeocool]

I wonder how much that actually helps. A license plate scanner and a camera can easily identify me in my car. What tracking advantage does “there are three (probably) Apple devices” in the car as well confer.

If I’m away from my car later, I’m just a guy walking around with 3 Apple devices (or two if I forget my phone in the car).

[mschuster91]

> A license plate scanner and a camera can easily identify me in my car.

Sure, but now you can track someone from their car through public transport, shops and god knows wherever else someone placed a sniffer.

And no, randomization doesn't help, because in the end the Find My beacons have to resolve down to some common identifier otherwise the "an unknown device has been following you for 2 hours" warning would not work.

[wolrah]

> in the end the Find My beacons have to resolve down to some common identifier otherwise the "an unknown device has been following you for 2 hours" warning would not work.

Not really, this is actually pretty easy. If such a device beacons and a trusted device is within range the trusted device can respond to the beacon and let it know it's nearby, then it just counts up if not. X number of beacons with no response, set the "not near my trusted device" flag. Some other device sees X number of beacons with that flag set while moving around, send alert to the user.

[mikeocool]

Doesn’t the Find My stalking tracking work by connecting the the randomized id back to a unique device on Apple’s servers?

So yeah, if they subponea/coerce Apple (or Apple signs up willingly) they could track people individually.

But at that point we’re no longer talking about large scale tracking by an untrusted third party. Apple and my phone company have always been able to track me without getting license plate scanners involved.

[therealpygon]

So that they can identify you and your friend ride together frequently and they need to make sure they can link you if you decide not to bring your work cell and AirPods to the “illegal” protest you rode with your friend to as part of your “domestic terror organization” since you and your friend also happened to go shooting at that gun range that one time for his birthday, and you were once in a Walmart with some other “co-conspirator”. The types of allegations that have already been used to smear citizens and officials alike. So yes, it is very helpful…to the “them”, not the “us”.

And all along, the people will say they had no idea what was really happening that they kept voting for, while deep down, they knew exactly what they were voting for and why. And that description doesn’t apply to a single party. If you disagree with either sides totalitarianism and their march toward it, you will eventually be branded and potentially arrested on whatever charge will prevent you from voting in the future. Or at least that’s how it goes any/everywhere else that has gone down that path. Hopefully cooler heads in both parties prevail. It always saddens me that the non-“decision makers” of both parties don’t just band together to get things done they both can agree on (which is a lot). There is a lot more people at the bottom than the top in those houses, yet they both willingly kiss the ring of their leaders.