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

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.

  • Melody Fwygon@beehaw.org
    1·
    4 months ago

    Ideally there’s not a whole lot of data that needs to be kept.

    Legitimately all that needs to be stored is a few things:

    • Location (GPS)
    • SSIDs (Wifi APs only)
    • Cell ID & MCC/MNC (Cell Towers only)

    and things they MUST NOT STORE OR SHARE like:

    • IPs of contributors for longer than a few days
    • un-hashed BSSIDs (Wifi/BT)
    • MAC addresses (Wifi/BT)
    • IMEI/IMSIs (or other cellular identifiers derived from them)
    • APs that don’t exist in a fixed location (Think mobile hotspot SSIDs) for longer than a fixed amount of time.
    • BT devices
    • Non-unique SSIDs or IDs that may indicate no user config took place and manufacturer did not differentiate device ID. (Things like “SETUP” with no unique number (SSIDs like"SETUP-be3fd34d" would be valid) or “[ISP]@HOME” or “[ISP]Wifi” which provide no meaningful discriminators)