January 6th Arrests: Inside Google’s Mass Location Surveillance System
Dear readers: It is rare that I have the opportunity to introduce a sponsor that I wholeheartedly believe in. One of the biggest threats to our freedoms and liberties is surveillance against our will. Our phones are spying on us 24/7, and it’s nearly impossible to escape this reality unless you’re a high-end tech geek.
Today, I want to introduce you to my friends at Above Phone, who have made escaping constant surveillance a little bit easier for the average person.
For a limited time, you can get up to $300 off a ‘de-Googled’ phone from Above Phone, free of the spyware that we’ve all grown to hate. Your business not only supports this Substack but also helps jump-start a grassroots movement to “take back our tech.”
I kindly ask you to welcome this sponsored message from Above Phone.
Few Americans realize that their phone transmits location data to Google's servers every five minutes. Fewer still understand this data was fed into Sensorvault, the largest location surveillance system ever known. This sophisticated tracking infrastructure played a pivotal role in identifying participants in the January 6th Capitol events, showcasing both its power and raising some truly alarming privacy concerns.
Sensorvault is far more than a simple database. It's a comprehensive surveillance platform that integrates multiple tracking technologies. The system combines GPS coordinates, nearby WiFi networks, Bluetooth signals, cell tower connections, and even device motion patterns to create detailed location histories of hundreds of millions of users.
Why gather this data? To fulfill Geofence warrants, which make it easy for investigators to find suspects. They pick a date, time, and place of interest on the map, and then all of the phones and associated accounts can be retrieved.
The January 6th protests marked an unprecedented deployment of this technology. Federal investigators submitted what may be the largest geofence warrant in history, demanding data on every device within the Capitol building during a four-and-a-half-hour window.
The precision of Sensorvault proved remarkable – recording an average of 22 distinct location points per suspect inside the building, accurate enough to track movement between floors.
At the end of 2023, facing backlash - Google announced they would save location history on devices by default. However, it’s unclear whether Sensorvault lives on or if Google continues to fulfill Geofence warrants.
Only those who use ‘de-Googled’ phones and avoid Google’s location services are fully protected from this surveillance as a service. For everyone else, well… it’s not a good idea to bring your phone to a protest.
Watch Hakeem from Above Phone explain:
That’s where a ‘de-Googled’ phone from Above Phone comes in. For a limited time only, Vigilant Fox and Above Phone are offering an exclusive discount of up to $300 off a fully loaded, user-friendly Above Phone!
Surveillance As A Service
Google Play Services, running as a privileged system process, continuously collects location data locally before transmitting it to Google's servers. This data is tagged with permanent identifiers, including the device's hardware serial number, SIM card information, and Android ID, creating a record of movement.
When law enforcement submits a geofence warrant, Sensorvault processes the request through a sophisticated analysis pipeline.
The system first identifies all devices within the specified geographic and temporal boundaries. It then analyzes movement patterns, calculating dwell times and mapping entrance and exit points. Finally, high-scoring devices are cross-referenced with Google accounts and additional identifiers, building comprehensive profiles of individuals present at the scene.
Even when users disable all privacy options, both iPhone and Android devices continue transmitting detailed location and identification data to Google's servers. This creates a permanent record of movement and behavior that proves nearly impossible to erase.
The implications extend far beyond political protests. Geofence warrants have seen explosive growth, from fewer than 500 requests in early 2018 to over 3,000 per quarter by late 2020. Law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on this tool for investigations ranging from local burglaries to organized crime, effectively turning every Google user's phone into a disturbingly dystopian corporate promise: surveillance as a service.
Implementing Solutions
For those genuinely concerned about privacy, completely opting out of Google's surveillance requires some effort.
Users must go through the process of jailbreaking and installing alternative operating systems like GrapheneOS, or DivestOS that remove Google services entirely, or implement strict network-level blocking of Google domains.
Unfortunately, adjusting simple privacy settings on both iPhone and Android proves insufficient to prevent tracking, as core system services continue collecting and transmitting location data regardless of user preferences. Research from Trinity College Dublin has exposed the true extent of this data collection.
Modern machine learning models like the Sentient World Simulation can now predict likely future locations, identify behavioral patterns, map social connections through co-location data, and track group movements.
As this surveillance infrastructure expands, users face a stark choice: accept comprehensive monitoring as the cost of modern mobile convenience or adopt a fully loaded ‘de-Googled’ privacy phone like Above Phone to protect user privacy.
The middle ground between these options continues to shrink, forcing a fundamental reassessment of our relationship with mobile technology and personal privacy.
Right now, you can save up to $300 on your very own Above Phone by taking advantage of Vigilant Fox’s exclusive offer! Above Phone isn’t just a phone, it’s an ecosystem of friendly technologies working together to protect you and your community. Hurry! Quantities are limited, and this deal won’t last.
If you want to know if your smartphone is truly secure, Join Above Phone’s free webinar on November 19th to find out!
Limited spots are available. Reserve yours now.
Sources:
Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Demand Data about Users of Any Phone in a Given Location?
Who Can We Call On? How Our Phones Are Tracked By Big Tech, Telecom, and Government
The Fifth Circuit Shuts Down Geofence Warrants—and Maybe a Lot More
Mobile Handset Privacy: Measuring The Data iOS and Android Send to Apple And Google
AI Surveillance & Pre-Crime: On the Sentient World Simulation
If I might make a simple suggestion, anyone not wanting their location or information disclosed while carrying their phone should simply place their phone in a Faraday bag. They can be purchased online for as little as $35 and they can be as small as the phone itself. Just a little bit bigger than the phone so the phone slides inside it closes and it completely cloaks your phone. Nothing in nothing out. Law enforcement use these to transport critical evidence. They will also keep your phone from being affected by an EMP. And if people do not think that an EMP is in their future then why did Elon musk start building Teslas with a Faraday cage around the electronics approximately eight months ago. But that’s a whole Nother subject.
or you can opt to be free from harassment and not get a phone, keep your land line and answering machine.