ip-api.com: How This Tracker Pinpoints Your Location

The domain ip-api.com operates as a geolocation API, tracing your IP address to gather detailed location and network information. It serves apps and websites needing location data, often at the cost of your privacy. Here’s a breakdown of its invasive tracking.

What Is ip-api.com?

This service provides IP-based geolocation data to developers and businesses, allowing them to pinpoint user locations for various purposes like analytics or regional content. It extracts extensive details from your IP address. As Privacy Auditors, we’re alarmed by how much personal location data this tracker reveals.

Data It Collects

When an app or site uses this API, it captures:

• Geolocation: Precise location from IP, down to city, postal code, and coordinates.
• IP Address: Unique identifier tied to your internet connection.
• ISP Data: Internet service provider name and connection type.
• Timezone: Local time zone based on IP location.
• Country Code: Specific country identifier like ‘US’ or ‘UK’.
• Region Data: State or province tied to your IP location.
• Network Type: Mobile, broadband, or other connection details.

This data creates a precise geographic profile of your online presence.

Who Gets Your Data?

Your information is shared with:

• Third-party app or website: Integrating IP-API for location services.
• Analytics provider: Using location data for user profiling.
• Government entity: Upon legal request, potentially sharing IP and geolocation data.

How to Protect Yourself

Privacy Auditors are committed to safeguarding your data. Follow these steps:

• Use a VPN: Mask your IP with a service like Mullvad to hide your real location.
• Block Trackers: Use Privacy Auditor tools to stop API requests to domains like ip-api.com.
• Limit Location Sharing: Disable location permissions for apps and browsers.
• Use Proxy Services: Route traffic through proxies to obscure your IP.

Combine these measures for robust protection against location tracking.

Sources

• IP-API Privacy Policy: https://ip-api.com/docs/privacy
• IP-API Documentation: https://ip-api.com/docs/api:json

This is a legal disclaimer. All information is provided for educational purposes only.