Finding Rudy Giuliani. How tracking software uses overt data to locate people and even predict where they'll be next.

Forget about the clichéd scenes of shadowy figures planting bugs or dramatic car chases where the good guys follow GPS trackers tucked in the wheel well of a suspected criminal. In the era of social media, locating someone of interest is often as simple as a few clicks. Government officials, private investigators, and even advertisers have unrestricted access to a wealth of public data – our social media posts, location check-ins, and seemingly harmless details like gym routines and grocery deliveries. When processed by advanced tracking software, this overt data can create an incredibly accurate profile of a person's life, disclosing their current location and predicting their future movements.

Take Rudy Giuliani, for instance. While his whereabouts might once have required a team of gumshoes, a quick search on social media platforms frequented by his associates or following hashtags he might use could provide real-time updates on his movements. Social tracking isn't some dystopian fantasy; it's the new reality of a world saturated with personal information. A recent CNN article written by Zachary Cohen states that "according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to Giuliani the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment. The agents believed Giuliani was likely in his New York City apartment because he had recently streamed video from there – which they determined by matching the setting of the feed with pictures of the interior of the residence from an old real estate listing." But how exactly does this work, and what are the implications for privacy? While you may love or hate him - this article is not about Rudy Guiliani. Instead, this article examines tracking software and how it leverages the data we willingly share.

Many tracking software programs are available both commercially and to government entities. This article will give you a general idea of how tracking?software can monitor your social posts across multiple platforms. Then, we'll look at how more advanced tracking software might?extract?and?analyze your?social media data to provide insights into what you do, where you'll likely be, with whom, and when - down to the hour. Lastly, I'll list some basic rules to help you practice privacy hygiene.

Let's briefly consider some of the primary ways tracking software can use social media posts to locate someone:

• Using?meta data?from pictures:?This includes GPS data embedded in photos, which can pinpoint the exact location?where the?picture?was taken. Even if location services are disabled, some cameras add this data by default.
• Geo-tags:??Many social media platforms allow users to tag their location when posting.?This?can be a city, a specific venue, or?a custom location.
• Background details in pictures and videos:??Sometimes, even without explicit location tags, identifiable landmarks or background details in?images?or videos can be used to triangulate a general location.
• Social media check-ins:?Many platforms allow users to check in at specific locations, further solidifying their whereabouts.
• Publicly shared information:?Social media posts themselves may contain clues about location, such as mentioning a nearby restaurant or event.
• Social connections:??Tracking software may explore a person's social media network to see if their friends or followers have posted updates that reveal the target's location.

Beyond monitoring, there are more advanced ways overt tracking software (OTS) may be used to data mine on social media platforms, including Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Foursquare, and Google. Here, I'll give you a breakdown from a Web Developer's perspective of how this software might work.

Data Collection:

• Public APIs:?Some advanced tracking software utilizes public APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) offered by social media platforms. APIs provide controlled access to data, allowing someone to gather publicly available information like posts, comments, and user profiles.
• Web Scraping:??It might also employ web scraping techniques. This involves extracting data directly from the platform's website, though terms of service and regulations often limit this practice.

Data Analysis:

• Keyword Extraction:?It can identify and extract keywords from the collected dataset. This allows filtering information based on specific topics, events, or hashtags.
• Sentiment Analysis:?It might use sentiment analysis to gauge the overall mood or opinion expressed in the data. This can help understand the public perception of a particular issue.
• Entity Recognition:?Slightly different from social connections, entity recognition could identify key entities, such as people, organizations, and locations outside your immediate connections, mentioned in the data. This would help connect the dots and build a bigger picture.

Data Visualization:

• Overlays and Maps:?Overlay technology likely refers to the ability to display the collected and analyzed data on top of a map or other visual representation.?This?allows for spotting trends and geographical patterns.
• Charts and Graphs:?Tracking software may use charts and graphs to present the data clearly and concisely, making it easier to identify trends and relationships.
• Predicting Behavior:?Social check-ins can help advanced tracking software to determine where a person spends their time. Social check-ins can be analyzed and broken down by month, day, and hour. Therefore, if you want to get ahold of someone and have analyzed their check-ins, it makes sense to go to those places at those times first to look for them.

It's?important?to be aware of these methods and to practice good privacy hygiene on social media, including:

• Reviewing privacy settings and adjusting them to limit who can see your information.
• Be?mindful of what information you share publicly in posts.
• Avoid?posting pictures or videos with identifiable landmarks in the background.
• Disabling location services for social media apps.

In closing, using all tracking software raises significant privacy concerns, primarily if it collects data beyond what's publicly available. Understanding how tracking software filters and analyzes data is essential to avoid biases or misinterpretations.

Sources:

*https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/14/politics/arizona-officials-giuliani-indictment-2020/index.html