Want an untracked Android? Here’s how

Self-described hacker Moxie Marlinspike has released WhisperMonitor, a firewall for the Android operating system that among other things blocks its location-tracking features.

Its egress filtering monitors all outbound network traffic, and lets users create filtering rules. An outbound connection request can, for example, allow or deny connections from Android applications to outbound ports and addresses on a ‘once-only’, ‘until reboot’ or ‘always’ basis.

The monitor also compiles a connection history (hope that’s stored in an encrypted file!) that lets Android users see who their device connects to and how often.

For users who like their movements to be their own business, this makes it a simple matter of stopping the Android GPS daemon from talking to the outside world. The downside is that you won’t be able to receive location-based advertisements suggesting nearby restaurants, shopping destinations or coffee joints.

The software is now included in Marlinspike’s WhisperCore security suite. ®