[LINK] Geolocation

[Martin Barry]

Sorry for the epic "late to the party" reply but...

$quoted_author = "David Lochrin" ;
> 
> Apparently a user's location is derived from a database of many sources.
> These include not only GPS data and data from mobile cell towers, but
> identifying data broadcast by WiFi networks where it's been correlated
> with location.  It seems Google were forced to stop collecting this
> information in Germany using their street-view vans. 

Google stopped their wifi data collection because they not only only
recorded SSIDs and MAC addresses but also payloads of packets they observed.

https://www.wired.com/2012/05/google-wifi-fcc-investigation/

This was unrelated to their cessation of Streetview activity in Germany.
They decided that allowing people or companies to request properties be
blurred out was too much of a burden to support.

https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/germanys-complicated-relationship-with-google-street-view/?_r=1

cheers
Marty