How does Google get my location?

I guess I should have known.
Same with this setting? Doesn't affect this situation?

 

That I believe is to completely block cookies and things like plugin data, instead of just using the next option below and blocking 3rd party ones.

 

There is no way to turn off the location customization

 

EDIT: REF -

This is quite vague. I would love to know how they do this.

Anyone know?

 

Awesome. Two (or more) wrongs make a right. This argument fits so well with a lot of other things. Really awesome.

 

Maybe someone more knowledgeable in the area can tell if if simply knowing your MAC address (from street view, etc) is the way they are doing this, because as far as I know, websites cannot read your MAC address, only IP.

If that is the case, that's fine as there's nothing I can do to prevent it and only Google/Microsoft so far have the power to do it. However if it has nothing to do with the MAC address, I'd like to find out a way to prevent it.

 

The technicalities of actually accessing the local wifi access spots from your wireless modem do you mean?
If you're connecting wirelessly then that information is probably there for the taking from your network adapter, but for people who are connected via ethernet but are using a wireless router, then I don't know how google obtains that info. I mean how do I even find out what local wifi access points I can receive right now?

I have no idea how to even obtain that from my ethernet network adapter. Ofcourse I can log into my router and click on 'wireless survey' and see all the hotspots in my area but I presume google isn't doing that. So how do they do it?

One of you know.

You could get all your neighbours to spoof their mac address's. Unfortunately you'll also likely have commercial AP's near by {as i do} so it's not like you could ask them [not that this is really a feasible idea anyway]

 

Hmm good point, I'm also on this boat.

 

I did guess Google is communicating with the router, adapter, on some level.

Bit creepy if they're seeing this information. IMO.

I guess this might explain why BT, UK's #1 internet provider, sends out their routers with Wifi on by default. Helps the process.

 

I'm not so worried about Google knowing my location as much as my building janitor checking everything that happens in my life. I hate it, but if I could get rid of Google, it would be much more difficult to do so with my janitor, I suppose it is a matter of opinions, and ways of perceiving privacy.

 

You know, maybe it's becoming harder to not be a smart alec around here, but how about we try, hmm? The old "college try"? Explain to me in really simple terms, since I'm evidently too stupid to figure this out without help, how the title "How does Google get my location?" is "disparaging". Show me, using flash cards if you feel it's necessary, how that title can be seen as manipulating Wilders or anyone else, in some conspiracy to make Google look bad.

Yes, I'm being a smart alec too. Smart alec remarks deserve smart alec replies.

 

Many ISPs assign IPs based on MACs.

Part of the puzzle ?

 

I won't waste your time.

 

Google uses "googleapi" and "gstatic", maybe also other w3c accepted api's, to correlate your location from available war driving db's and it's own war driving db.
They make it extremely difficult to block it all.

 

lol what the hell this isn't inflammatory at all...