Google can determine your precise location despite using PIA

bickers1273bickers1273
in Other Privacy Software
I am using the windows app to connect to PIA servers. All seems good when i check via sites to show my IP address. When i do a google search, however, I click on the link at the bottom of the page 'use precise location' and it switches from my PIA selected server to my actual true location, which is very disturbing. I am only downloading torrents, nothing dodgy, but I thought I am completely anonymous?

Comments

  • bickers1273bickers1273
    I have also disabled webrtc in firefox
  • Omnibus_IVOmnibus_IV
    Ditto...

    I look at the bottom of a Google Search page and it shows my zip, and my city and state. Says it is getting this info "From your internet address". OK... can anyone speculate as to why google can find me when I am suppose to be anonymous (so to speak)?
  • Omnibus_IVOmnibus_IV
    bickers1273 said:
    I have also disabled webrtc in firefox
    Delete your cookies and logout of Google+, or Google Mail, or anything Google. I just logged out of Google and checked. It said I was in the USA based on my IP address, but no geo location.
  • bobclampetbobclampet
    Hmm I'd say transition over to DuckDuckGo for your searches, if you're willing. I've setup Chrome's omnibar to search DDG by default, and Google only with the google| keyword.

    Then again, I'm not positive that the omnibar/chrome doesn't just log my web address history, even though I don't sync it
  • pyro12pyro12
    I think google knows where your phone is and assumes you're with it.  So if you're logged into you google accounts on your PC, it ASSUMES you are the same person logged in with those same credentials and also with your phone, even if it can't get any location info from your PC or its connection...

    graceinc said:
    the best thing to do is to log off all your google accounts on your browser. This is what i always do. 
    This is probably why this works rather than it being a security issue with the VPN or WebRTC, etc.

    An interesting game would be to (gasp) turn your phone off from a location away from home, go home, and then see what The Big G can discern...
  • Omnibus_IVOmnibus_IV
    edited June 2017
    With Android there is more involved. As with Apple, your phone does not need the internet to be located. There is the ESN or IMEI that can be used to locate you. It is all done on the cellular level and since Google is the owner of Android, they can track you anytime they want. Apple is the same way with their iOS. The VPN is just to protect you from eavesdroppers.

    Now at home on your computer, yes, divorce yourself from google by ensuring you are not logged in to anything google and that should be sufficient enough to mask your geolocation.
  • HarleyBenHarleyBen
    pyro12 said:
    I think google knows where your phone is and assumes you're with it.  So if you're logged into you google accounts on your PC, it ASSUMES you are the same person logged in with those same credentials and also with your phone, even if it can't get any location info from your PC or its connection...

    graceinc said:
    the best thing to do is to log off all your google accounts on your browser. This is what i always do. 
    This is probably why this works rather than it being a security issue with the VPN or WebRTC, etc.

    An interesting game would be to (gasp) turn your phone off from a location away from home, go home, and then see what The Big G can discern...
    This should do the trick! :D 
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