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beaconDB is an open, and privacy-friendly network location service, replacing Mozilla's defunct location service (beacondb.net)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/foss@beehaw.org

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beaconDB is a drop-in replacement for MLS, which uses the same format request that's used by Mozilla's Ichnaea.

The source code is available on Codeberg: https://codeberg.org/beacondb/beacondb

You can contribute to the project by using an app like NeoStumbler (GitHub) or Tower Collector (GitHub) to submit location reports. NeoStumbler does Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GSM, while Tower Collector can only do GSM cell towers. Both are FOSS and available on F-Droid.

It is also recommended by the GrapheneOS project: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/112759509558471713

https://grapheneos.org/articles/positon-location-service

Just keep in mind that it's still in relatively early development, which is why it really needs contributions.

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[–] CaptObvious@literature.cafe 6 points 3 months ago (14 children)

Aren’t “privacy-friendly” and “location service” mutually exclusive?

[–] fwygon@beehaw.org 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

No.

It is hard to have both; but not impossible. You can still be privacy friendly without sacrificing necessary functionality.

It will require that the "provider" of such a dataset constantly scrub, sanitize and remove data that would cause privacy hazards as quickly as reasonably possible however. That in and of itself is a technical challenge; though not impossible.

[–] CaptObvious@literature.cafe 1 points 3 months ago

I disagree that location is necessary functionality.

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