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Is GPS private?
(lemmy.ml)
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this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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Privacy
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AFAIK, the answer to this is yes: GPS is private because the device seeking a lock is not transmitting anything.
Satellites transmit continuous signals which are received by your device. These signals contain data about the position of the satellite and precise timekeeping metadata. Figuring out your location is a matter of comparing time of receipt to the time reported in the signal (and other similar stuff, still all reception based).
This is also why it doesn't shut off for airplane mode. Nothing is being transmitted by your device to perform the lock; it must only receive enough data.