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[gannite]

Can anyone explain why when i run a speed test,it tells me that i am in another town.

[jelv]

It's not just speed tests that put me in the wrong place - I find I'm being located all over the place on many different websites. I suspect what is happening is that the location software, if it doesn't have a location for your IP (e.g. you've used something on your smartphone when connected via your WiFi that recorded your location), it makes a guess based on IP's near to yours (e.g. if your IP is 123.123.123.45 and it knows the location of 123.123.123.37 it guesses you are in the same place).

The common thing I think with the locations I've been given is that they are all where other users of my ISP live.

Just ignore it (or think of it being an extra security measure by giving fraudsters duff information).

[burakkucat]

The common thing I think with the locations I've been given is that they are all where other users of my ISP live.

I have always found it to be where my ISP has a point-of-presence, whenever I have bothered to check.

[jelv]

According to petrolprices I currently am located some just north of the Watford Gap, nowhere near me or my ISP!

[burakkucat]

According to petrolprices I currently am located some just north of the Watford Gap, nowhere near me or my ISP!

 

[sevenlayermuddle]

[jelv]

Strangely, my location at the bottom left of google.co.uk is 100% accurate at the moment: "United Kingdom" 

[d2d4j]

Hi

I thought due to GDPR, precise location for internet connection is not allowed

It is not that it cannot be found but that it should not be found for your location precisely.

I could be wrong though

We use geoip on our platforms but only to deduce the country origin and it attempts to determine if connection is from a vpn as well

Many thanks

John

[burakkucat]

I've never told Google my location. I make heavy use of Google Maps but not for in my own environment. So I've just called up Google Maps and taken a look at the area it displays. It does not show the geometric mean of the planet. It does not show the mid-point of Europe. It does show the mid-point of the UK. It does not show the mid-point of England. It does not show the mid-point of Suffolk. It actually shows a location to the north-west of Norwich, Norfolk. 

It is no secret that "The Cattery" is located in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

[sevenlayermuddle]

[d2d4j]

Hi

@7lm - exact ip location (exactly where you live/are) is restricted unless you use gprs (say sat nav) and you confirm your acceptance of such

As an example, i use car genie and accepted that they have my details and exact location. However I use car genie as I do travel alone a lot and if I were to have an accident (say go off road in a ditch) and the car sensors detect accident, AA are meant to ring me and if no answer, despatch a patrol to the gps location to investigate

Could be a life saver... if it works as intended but rather not put it to the test

Many thanks

John

[sevenlayermuddle]

@d2d4j, my point is that knowing Mr Muddle lives at a particular postal address is classed as personal data.  My understanding is that GDPR places restrictions on how such personal data may be stored and used.

Knowing that an IP address corresponds to a particular postal address, whilst creepy and disturbing, is probably not personal data - because an IP address is not a person, and cannot be relied upon to identify an individual person.

I used to think that GDPR was the only positive contribution that the EU had offered me, as privacy is a thing that concerns me.  Having dug a little deeper, and concluded that GDPR is half-baked and pointless, I now remain open to persuasion as to anything worthwhile that the EU has ever offered me.   

[d2d4j]

Hi

@7lm

Yes I understood what you were saying sorry

An ip is identifiable information and an exact address could be obtained (if say you were doing something illegal and police were involved with a court order). Google is not allowed to do this...

Bad people do not care about regulators/regulations so no amount of laws would stop them...

Many thanks

John

[sevenlayermuddle]

[d2d4j]

Hi

@7lm

Yes I understood your post


However, in certain circumstances an ip is identifiable to a person/s

Google I am sure has the facility to identify a person from their data (with a high degree of accuracy)

However, regulators stop them I am sure otherwise a quick search could bring everyone details up as easily as finding anything

Perhaps we are looking at this at 2 different perspectives and same for gdpr. Remember laws are interpreted and if you can show your interpretation is equal to another interpretation, yours is accepted as well as the other

Many thanks

John