Google/Facebook releases location data to show if coronavirus lockdowns working in 131 countries

Google on Thursday published reports for 131 countries showing whether visits to shops, parks and workplaces dropped in March, when many governments issued stay-at-home orders to rein in the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Facebook Inc, which like Google has billions of users, has shared location data with non-governmental researchers that are producing similar reports for authorities in several countries. But the social media giant has not published any findings.

The company declined to comment on whether it has received any legal requests to share more detailed data to help with efforts to tackle the pandemic.

Googl e/Facebook releases location data to show if coronavirus lockdowns working in 131 countries

And???

Is it working?

What's your opinion?


Some meat would be good.

a reply to: Y3K89

Ah the excuse for following the movements of everyone within a given country.

Not give it to the government? Give me a break.

For research only? Pfffffttttt

Google already built "dragonfly" for the Chinese government to follow and spy on the movements, activities, and every word spoken or written online, by every single Chinese citizen, and give all that data to the Chinese government.

I don't trust Google at all.

This is their way of making surveillance of everyone in the world acceptable to people.

If they did it for China, they will do it for any government. I don't trust Google at all, won't use Google Chrome, no Google products on my phone I know of. They are slimy as the day is long with corporate greed and willing to sell out you and me to the highest bidder at any moment.

Google doing something humanitarian, don't believe it for a second. Not after they sold their soul to China for "Black Mirror" surveillance of every single citizen in the entire country of China. Knowing the horrific human rights abuses in that nation.

If Facebook is joining with Google in this matter, that clarifies for me why I use Facebook as little as possible. I am forced to use Facebook to sign onto ATS, no other choice but to sign on with these behind the scenes traitors to humanity who will sell their souls for money, and care nothing for the people they hurt along the way by selling out to governments like China.

a reply to: The2Billies

Ah the excuse for following the movements of everyone within a given country.

An excuse isn’t needed. You give them the right by agreeing to their terms of service.

Yep, the Governor used cell phone data received from a company I assume hired to track that data to assist him in determining that a stay at home order was necessary.
That doesn't surprise in the least. It disturbs me somewhat but, I'm not surprised

Ah, yes, the one the NYT used to conclude that it's dangerous to live in Flyover y'all!



You know because if you have to drive more than 2 miles to get stuff, then you must be infecting tons of people because everywhere is urban like NYC!

"Disease experts who reviewed the results say those reductions in travel — to less than a mile a day, on average, from about five miles — may be enough to sharply curb the spread of the coronavirus in those regions, at least for now," Glanz reports. Yet he admits the data "cannot predict where outbreaks will spread, and it does not track how many interactions people had while they were traveling. Not all travel is problematic: A person driving for a few miles to pick up groceries would not be violating stay-at-home orders. And people in cities can infect others without traveling far."

So all you have here is that some people are still driving more, but none of it shows you why exactly they are or how they are handling themselves once there.

Good grief! My parents live 7 miles from the nearest grocery store, even further from their pharmacy. They are making trips because they could not get all their prescriptions synched up even if they *could* get 3 months supplies on them. You can't stock up on fresh grocery items, so you need to travel in at least once a week or so for your fruits and veg in many cases.

And you're going to see that happen in most flyover states because we don't live in densely packed urban cores like you do on the eastern and western seaboards. Many of us could be just as "socially distanced" as you even with several miles of travel.

a reply to: Y3K89

Its nice having a phone where I can physically remove the battery and keep it OFF .

Enjoy your iphones.

a reply to: HelloboysImbackguy

Had to pick up a few things this morning.

Didn't take long so left my phone at home. Pretty normal for me..

Manhattan is not comparable to any other burough in the US. Their lifestyles are so unique it might as well be on another planet. I doubt most have more than a week or so of food in their apartments.

I was talking to someone a while back about his apartment. He is fairly wealthy but the place is about 1200 sqft. Grilling on the balcony is not allowed and he lives on the 22nd floor or something. So right there, he has to use the elevator or stairs which nobody is talking about. Elevators and stairs are the perfect virus ambush choke points and there is no way to mitigate that issue. Staying inside isn't going to do a damn thing. Whatever gets delivered is going transmit it at some point.

That's what you think.

a reply to: HelloboysImbackguy

For those, like me, that like to look at the data, here's the Google page with the reports.

www.google.com...

originally posted by: ArMaP
For those, like me, that like to look at the data, here's the Google page with the reports.

www.google.com...

Google Privacy
For some reason an Old Sesame Street song came to mind..

One of these things is not like the others
One of these things just doesn't belong
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

originally posted by: HelloboysImbackguy
a reply to: Y3K89

Its nice having a phone where I can physically remove the battery and keep it OFF .

Enjoy your iphones.

Oh you sweet summer child. I have some very disturbing news for you....

a reply to: sputniksteve

Yes?

a reply to: HelloboysImbackguy

Unfortunately they have thought about that, and have a few work arounds.

I was being half facetious, half serious. Bottom line is "they" are pretty good at their jobs and can track us in ways we dont initially consider.

a reply to: sputniksteve

Thanks for the clarification. I thought they were building phones with hidden emergency batteries or something. LoL

Yeah I know what you mean. My house is low tech though. Tape on our phone cameras. Only ancient or basic appliances for air conditioners, tvs, or fridges. Etc. Smart bulbs are the not so smart kind. And so on.

Its not that we can be hidden completely but the point is that we can hide should we need to.

We have a small digital footprint as a family.

a reply to: HelloboysImbackguy

I would be shocked if there wasn't a way to get a tiny bit of power out of a dead phone for a tower ping.

Beyond that, they can look at other devices that your phone has been around in the past and link them up that way. If a phone comes in range of any device that has wireless or BT they can know where you are, even if you arent connected to those networks.

In my very uneducated opinion, the only chance you have is to carry no phone what so ever if you dont want to be tracked. Even then I wouldnt bet the farm.

Not trying to be scary or patronizing but I am willing to bet you are far less secure than you suspect. Not just you, but all of us. People that do this for a living ran circles around us before we ever thought to stick our legs out.

a reply to: sputniksteve

Oh absolutely. I am no more secure being "low tech" than others. It just makes my list of concerns over ACTUAL privacy more manageable.

If I was running I wouldnt be posting on ATS or watching youtube tutorials. LoL No phone, a mask, on foot, chosen non commercial or light industrial path to more of the same until my wanted ass hatched a plan. Identity theft? Hop the border? Pretend I am an undocumented immigrant?

LoL

There is no true escape. Unless I can make it to the mountains of southern Mexico...but now I posted that here! and THEY KNOW Damn it!

a reply to: ArMaP

Cool. My state:

Retail & recreation: down 56%
Grocery & pharmacy: down 36%
Parks: down 65%

Seems to be working somewhat but it should be noted that parks are supposed to be closed here.

Residential: up 16% That's odd. Where is everybody?

a reply to: HelloboysImbackguy

I agree thats pretty much the only way to do it. I WILL ALSO BE IN THE MOUNTAINS IN MEXICO IF I AM RUNNING. Definitely nowhere north of there. For sure. Seriously.