Wi-Fi networks have become our favorite way to connect. However, it must be recognized that they are not perfect and sometimes we have problems with neighboring interference. However, despite all this, due to the versatility and mobility it offers us, it is one of the most used connections. On the other hand, Google, Microsoft, and even Apple have huge databases of just about every Wi-Fi network in the world. But should that worry us? In this article we are going to see how your Wi-Fi information is in Google and Microsoft databases and if this should matter to us.
Sending Wi-Fi information
In case you don’t know, when we use location services, our devices are regularly sending lists of nearby networks to the owner of that platform, be it Google, Microsoft or Apple. This happens because Wi-Fi information is transmitted as part of the location finding process.
It should also be noted that sometimes the GPS may not be enough to determine our location because it is slow and has little coverage in some areas. For that reason, it’s now called “location services” and not just “GPS” on today’s devices. Thus, location services encompass multiple ways of finding our location, including the use of large databases of Wi-Fi networks owned by these large companies.
In the case of deactivating location services, then our device will return to using only GPS if it is available. This will definitely slow down using location services.
What information is there and how is it used?
The Wi-Fi information that appears in these databases is quite basic and usually includes:
- The MAC address and location of our Wi-Fi router.
- Sometimes the SSID or name of our Wi-Fi network.
The MAC address, also known as the media access control address, is designed to be unique. Although it can be changed, it is rarely done. In that regard, there may be many Wi-Fi networks that have the same name as ours, but the MAC address of our Wi-Fi router is most likely unique.
In that aspect, the database is used to triangulate our location. Thus, this database contains a fairly complete list that includes almost all Wi-Fi networks in the world and their physical locations. Therefore, since it has fairly precise locations of each Wi-Fi access point, it can use this information to determine our physical location very roughly.
How is this data obtained?
This Wi-Fi information is obtained as part of the location services lookup process. Here our smartphone or other device uploads that list of details of nearby Wi-Fi networks to the company’s database.
This happens all the time users use their devices. We come across a two-way process where our device reports GPS data to the database along with details of nearby Wi-Fi networks. This information is then entered into the database to determine the location as accurately as possible.
On some occasions we can ask these companies to remove the details of our Wi-Fi network from their databases by doing this:
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Google asks that we add “_nomap” to the name of our Wi-Fi network. So we would need to change “Wi-Fi Name” to “Wi-Fi Name_nomap” to remove it from the database.
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Microsoft allows us to send a MAC address through your location service opt-out page. Microsoft claims that any MAC address you send us will be blacklisted in their database.
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Apple does not provide any solution to remove our Wi-Fi information from its database on your location services privacy statement.
Is it worrying for our privacy?
In this regard, it should be noted that very little data is stored in these databases and identifies us personally. In addition, this data can be obtained because our Wi-Fi router constantly transmits its MAC address and the name or SSID of our Wi-Fi network to all nearby devices, that is, it is something public for users around us. However, if the database is leaked as has happened in the past, based on the MAC address it could be related to the physical location where we are.
What we need to do is be more careful when using the Internet. That is more worrying, since through trackers and cookies they will try to obtain a profile of us. For this reason, we must be very careful about what we publish on the Internet and how we protect our confidential information. Finally, related to this, here is everything you need to know to maintain your privacy on the Internet.
