Unique MAC Addresses Enable User Privacy Infringement in Wireless NetworksĮvery Wi-Fi radio has a unique 48-bit identifier called a MAC address that is assigned by the manufacturer. As a countermeasure to this privacy threat, OS developers are anonymizing MAC addresses, thereby raising technical concerns among network operators. Wi-Fi access points, however, can monitor device locations without user consent by means of MAC addresses.
Although a growing number of applications make use of location data, operating systems (OSs) provide the ability to turn off location services provided by the GPS or cellular/Wi-Fi connectivity. In the era of mobility, location tracking is a major privacy concern for portable device users.
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