“The uncomfortable truth: every #phone with a SIM card is a tracking device that happens to run apps.”
https://fumics.in/posts/2026-02-01-phone-gps-carrier-tracking.html
Discussion
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@raptor Hm, does removing the SIM work? I thought I can call emergency services even with no SIM? I mean, I guess they can't track me by phone number then, but still. Or am I mistaken?
The phone has two key identifiers. The SIM has an identifier that associates the phone with some account. The IMEI number uniquely identifies the phone. The IMEI is used in handshakes with the cell towers. If you have ever had the SIM in the phone, the carrier will link the IMEI and the SIM identifiers for tracking. Removing the SIM does not remove their ability to uniquely identify you.
@david_chisnall @ljrk precisely! Thank you for putting it more eloquently than I did 😅