cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/37022405
This is a carrier in the USA (T-Mobile).
I did a quick search for the other 2 carriers using the term “[Carrier Name] Family Tracking” and Verizon and AT&T also seems to have it.
And according to https://www.t-mobile.com/support/plans-features/t-mobile-familywhere-app, it says:
FamilyWhere uses geolocation data from the T-Mobile network and is not affected by changes to device location settings.
So it appears that its using cell tower triangulation. Turning on Airplane Mode should stop it (assuming there isn’t a separate tracking app on your phone)
Oh Wow, What a wonderful tool for abusive spouses and abusive parents. And telecom companies are making money off of it. 🙃
TLDR: Its a good idea to get your own separate cellular plan.
This isn’t new, cell tower triangulation is a fact of the network operation and is part of how your signal gets handed off between towers as you travel. Airplane wouldn’t do anything unless it where to actually disable the sim entirely, and functionally even that doesn’t cut it in the USA given that a device without one can still connect to emergency services via any tower in reach.
This is just the carrier giving a customer the data that would already exist, for a price, which I thought T-Mo actually used to give for free…
The carrier can track a phone without sim card but it’s not the case if you turn on airplane mode. The whole point of airplane mode is to prevent the phone from emitting any signal to avoid interference with critical aircraft instruments. I don’t see any company risking to circumvent such a critical security feature, it would be easily verifiable.
This is a useful feature. If you are in an abusive household, then yes you should have as much financial separation as possible. For those that are in a happy and functional family with kids that you want to allow freedom for, this provides a measure of safety if you need it for potential emergency’s or if they aren’t answering the phone or whatever.
This is a problem even without this. The account owner can get lists of all outbound calls of their victim’s line if they share a plan.
The fcc requires some remediation if a domestic abuse order is submitted but obviously that’s at the far end of the abuse cycle.
The issue here can be traced all the way to phone companies pushing the very concept of family plans because it makes churn more difficult.
An abuser can shut off their victim’s phone line on a whim with convenient online interfaces.
Phone companies don’t treat their customers will respect because their is no requirement. No one of adult age should be subjected to any of these controls simply because someone else pays.
The health industry has rules around this. The moment a child hits 18, their claims disappear and the parent loses access to medical records.
There is absolutely no reason phones should not have the same restrictions but the industry lacks the will and will until the fcc or other three letter agency forces the issue.
If you are in a healthy relationship, you can do this voluntarily and for free using functionality built into the OS or third party apps, without paying your network operator $10/mo
Unpopular opinion: Your kids do not actually have freedom if you’re tracking them.
Even if it is “just for emergencies” and “we don’t actually look at it”.
I enjoyed a completely untracked childhood, and I will make damn sure my kids can have that too.
Just knowing that your parents trust you is a priceless feeling.
Unpopular opinion: Your kids do not actually have freedom if you’re tracking them.
This is just false, and your definition of ‘freedom’ is nothing but sophistry.
If we didn’t have this, my kids would have a lot less freedom. Knowing where they are gives me much more peace of mind to let them roam further, and for longer than I would otherwise 🤷♂️
I grew up in a time before cell phones, I had a lot more freedom than your kids will ever experience. Crime rates were much higher back then by the way. I still survived even though my parents rarely knew where I was between 4 and 6 pm, but I was always home in time for dinner.
My kids don’t even have phones, as they do not need them and they are unhealthy for the young brain’s development.
I also don’t use location services on my phones. Fuck all that tracking bullshit.
A cheap dumbphone could come in handy at almost any age* (calls, short SMS, especially in emergency situations). Though there is a possibility they wouldn’t want to be seen with that. Kids will bully each other for whatever isn’t a norm.
Anyway, preferably a simpler one. I used to spend hours each day on Java games. Really, the only thing that stopped me was headaches.
* Almost any - you don’t want a 3 year old calling 911 for fun
I understand wanting to do this as a parent, but I’m so thankful I grew up without cell phones. I would never track a teenager. I feel like teenagers need space to assert their own autonomy and form an identity apart from their parents. When I think of the best moments I had with friends, it’s almost always something that would have technically gone against my parents’ knowledge and wishes, even though my parents were very good to me overall.
Who said anything about teenagers? Kids too young to be left without supervision can now learn independence. So kids can be more independent at younger age compared to “good old times”!
aaand next time they’ll leave their cell phone home to not get tracked, so not only do you not get their location, they can’t even call you in an emergency
good parenting, i guess
Not a new thing, and I can definitely see good uses for this information. What they should have done is made it so that the one being tracked gets a log and real time notification any time someone is tracking them. This would alleviate some of the toxic spying behavior simply by making it transparent rather than covert.
Find My and Google’s device locator service exist, they’re free and work without a carrier. Ik they’re not that private, but you save money at least and they’re more private than your carrier.
/s
But you need geolocation. This, at least, can track you scarily accurate. Cannot escape it except you have more money depending on which situation. (Like parents giving it for free to the child, so the only escape is to either have secretly a second phone with own carrier plan or be open and purchase your own carrier plan by gaslighting its needed)
