[deanhills]

@fChk  I think this may be a topic for you.  

I don't want to be tracked on my SmartPhone.  And am completely prepared to downgrade to my old Nokia 1100.  

I only upgraded to SmartPhone as when I was in Canada my Old Nokia G2 technology wasn't working there - anything under G4 has been discontinued a long time ago.  Even though this Old Nokia was fine in UAE, South Africa and the UK, it was as dead as a duck in North America.

Back in South Africa I sort of got into WhatsApp for family after years of resisting it like crazy.  However now with Corona Virus looks as though Government is messaging me every day.  Also, I find that with SmartPhone it takes more air time than it used to with my Nokia Phone.  Even with all of the options disabled including the BiG one for not using data, it's still using more air time than it did with the Nokia.

I'd like to know if I should move back to my old Nokia with the same SIM card, would they be able to track me similarly?  

It's my Xperia X SmartPhone vs Nokia 1100 Cell Phone

[Mashiro]

What exactly do you mean with "air time"? It's 2G and 4G by the way.

The government of SA is sending you messages via WhatsApp or text messages? If you get text messages from them then they probably let it be sent at carrier level as a "broadcast" message. So basically everyone in the network gets the message. You could try to block the number that sends the SMS if it is always the same. If they send you messages over WhatsApp I think you can also block the number/contact.

Anyway. About tracking. Even if you change back to an older phone you can be still tracked via silent messages or cell tower triangulation tracking which by the way can be pretty accurate in terms of tracking of your position. Cell tower triangulation tracking can be as exact as a few meters difference to the real location. And silent messages are messages sent to your phone that you don't even know about. No notification, they don't show up on the phone or anything else. The silent message also known as silent SMS or stealth ping is used to activate the tracking procedure. It bascially helps to trace/track the number.

https://cellphonetrackers.org/mobile-gsm...tions.html
https://edri.org/edrigramnumber10-2silen...-suspects/
https://github.com/CellularPrivacy/Andro...silent-sms

[deanhills]

What exactly do you mean with "air time"? It's 2G and 4G by the way.

Apologies. Air time here in South Africa means time you pay for when you have a pre-paid SIM package.  You can buy either just telephone time or a combo of telephone and data and you buy it by units and use it until it is finished. I don't buy data at all and use WiFi on my Smart Phone only - and data is completely disabled on my phone settings, however if you have by accident data enabled on your phone, the SA providers here are clever in draining your phone time for data.  Also if you have any tracking enabled or other similar options, it uses additional phone time - in essence you're paying for vendors to be able to track you if you have tracking enabled or other smart options.

The government of SA is sending you messages via WhatsApp or text messages? If you get text messages from them then they probably let it be sent at carrier level as a "broadcast" message. So basically everyone in the network gets the message. You could try to block the number that sends the SMS if it is always the same. If they send you messages over WhatsApp I think you can also block the number/contact.

Not WhatsApp.  Hopefully and thankfully yet.  But yes, probably a broadcast text message and I'm not sure whether the direct source is Government or the SIM provider.  I have been considering blocking it, but then so far have thought while we are in a state of an emergency, and until I feel sure I want to block it to wait a little while before I do so.  But yes, that is an option while I'm on my Smart Phone.

Anyway. About tracking. Even if you change back to an older phone you can be still tracked via silent messages or cell tower triangulation tracking which by the way can be pretty accurate in terms of tracking of your position. Cell tower triangulation tracking can be as exact as a few meters difference to the real location. And silent messages are messages sent to your phone that you don't even know about. No notification, they don't show up on the phone or anything else. The silent message also known as silent SMS or stealth ping is used to activate the tracking procedure. It bascially helps to trace/track the number.

https://cellphonetrackers.org/mobile-gsm...tions.html
https://edri.org/edrigramnumber10-2silen...-suspects/
https://github.com/CellularPrivacy/Andro...silent-sms

Thanks for this Hidden.  Exactly what I wanted to learn about.  I thought one could only be tracked if tracking was enabled, but I guess as long as you have a SIM card, it can be tracked anywhere exactly the way you mentioned.  But then I guess only if they have cause and authorization to track you.  What about when the Government is in a State of Emergency?  Can they universally try to track individuals leaving their homes when they're not permitted to do so?  Like write algorithms to take control of movements and provide results that they can zero onto - like xyz people traveling X miles further from home than they should including excluding individuals like service providers with permits who have authorization to move for longer distances during lockdown?

[Rehan]

I am wondering that why are you so scared of being traced? Every loyal person does not care for being traced. People who are involved in a fraud or are criminal are scared of being traced. As far as i know you are a very loyal person. So why are you so scared of it. Just like you i am a student and good citizen but still i want to keep myself secure. To be safe i keep location service turned off in my android. As hidden refuge has explained that we can be traced by signal towers. There is nothing we can do.
On the other hand services providers promotion messages and other advertisement messages can be blocked on android mobile but can not be blocked on Nokia 1100. In Pakistan my current service providers have provided us a service to block all of the promotional messages without blocking single number.

OFF: Oh my God, can't believe that Nokia 1100 still exist. That was the first mobile in my life. I still remember that spacewar ( don't know exact name ) game.

[Mashiro]

Thanks for this Hidden.  Exactly what I wanted to learn about.  I thought one could only be tracked if tracking was enabled, but I guess as long as you have a SIM card, it can be tracked anywhere exactly the way you mentioned.  But then I guess only if they have cause and authorization to track you.  What about when the Government is in a State of Emergency?  Can they universally try to track individuals leaving their homes when they're not permitted to do so?  Like write algorithms to take control of movements and provide results that they can zero onto - like xyz people traveling X miles further from home than they should including excluding individuals like service providers with permits who have authorization to move for longer distances during lockdown?

This is a question of law and ethics. The "government" can do a lot and especially in emergency states they can easily push law changes to soften rights and etc. This way they can enable legal tracking without the need for a court decision or similar.

This is a topic that I saw on the news in Germany and a few other countries where the governments are looking for ways to track infection chains by tracking the phones of the persons and etc.

[fChk]

@fChk  I think this may be a topic for you.  
I don't want to be tracked on my SmartPhone.  And am completely prepared to downgrade to my old Nokia 1100.  

I don't want to be tracked either. And I'm completely prepared to shutoff that damn thing all together... Which is the case 75% of the time. :-)

That's your only option to avoid being remotely tracked.

Initially, I was completely against buying one; but I did eventually when I was hospitalized 3/4 years ago to keep in touch with the Family.

Cell tower triangulation tracking can be as exact as a few meters difference to the real location.

The Palestinians learned that the hard way. They were the first to be killed that way since late 90s.............