Privacy advocates got access to Locate X, a phone tracking tool which multiple U.S. agencies have bought access to, and showed me and other journalists exactly what it was capable of. Tracking a phone from one state to another to an abortion clinic. Multiple places of worship. A school. Following a likely juror to a residence. And all of this tracking is possible without a warrant, and instead just a few clicks of a mouse.

  • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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    2 months ago

    Then how you gonna take a selfie in the bed?

    Seriously tho, people need phones for everything, including their calendar and map and communication with their partner.

    Not bringing a phone isn’t an option

    • WrenFeathers@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I can assure you that people don’t need instant access to calendars and maps. Smart phones are a convenience, not a necessity.

      (Source - lived through the 80’s. Still alive to tell the tale)

      • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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        2 months ago

        “And fuck all the other people who are addicted to smarphones. They don’t matter” /s

        • WrenFeathers@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          No, they don’t. Because if they’re weak enough to allow themselves to become addicted to a device, that’s their problem to solve. Not even else’s.

          Smartphones are a convince, a tool. Nothing more. If one can’t live without one- there’s a problem needing to be addressed.

          • frostysauce@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            if they’re weak enough to allow themselves to become addicted to a device

            That’s not how addiction works.

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      2 months ago

      Mapquest is still around, so that solves one problem. The rest can be alleviated by communicating in person with your partner and aligning on a plan to not get tracked (like partner driving you and leaving their phone at home).

      In the absence of that help, friends or family you trust. A cab? The clinic probably has a phone to hail a cab when you’re there.

      Disclaimer: I’m just providing work arounds, I’m not saying they’re ideal.

    • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Believe it or not, digital cameras exist as standalone devices.

      You can also buy an rf blocking bag for your phone.

      • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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        2 months ago

        Yes, you can. But thats the last thing on the mind of someone who is struggling to terminate a pregnancy in the US in 2024. We need something better.

          • T156@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            There are many reasons for a pregnancy to be terminated, and not all of them are for fun, or because of casual sex. Maybe the child has defects incompatible with life, or the mother is not capable of carrying to term, and attempting to do so will kill them both.

            People don’t tend to go “oh, it’s a nice Sunday today. I think I’ll pop by the abortion clinic.”

            • LunchMoneyThief@links.hackliberty.org
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              2 months ago

              As a percentage, what proportion of pregnancies do those scenarios comprise? What percentage of abortions are carried out simply as a form of birth control?

    • capital@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Not bringing a phone definitely is an option.

      But I suggested a burner with forwarding so that handles comms to partner.

      If you can’t function without your main device for special circumstances such as this, I guess you just can’t be helped.

    • LunchMoneyThief@links.hackliberty.org
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      2 months ago

      Calendar

      Non digital is sufficient. And if it must be digital for some reason, no you don’t specifically need to use a serf phone for that.

      map

      I get around just fine without proprietary tracking BS. Navit + Openstreetmaps pre-downloaded binary data + detachable USB GPS transceiver.

      communication with partner

      Softphones and SIP telephony are fine for this.

      Sauce: I am a functioning adult who lives without a phone as a matter of principle.