ipwho.is: How This Service Tracks Your Location Through Your IP

The domain ipwho.is is part of ipwhois.io, a service that provides IP lookup and geolocation data to websites and apps. It monitors your IP address to extract location and network details, enabling others to profile you. Here’s a breakdown of its invasive practices and how to defend your privacy.

What Is ipwho.is?

ipwho.is serves as an API endpoint for ipwhois.io, delivering IP-based information to clients like website owners or app developers. It’s used to identify where you are and details about your connection, but this tracking strips away layers of your privacy. As Privacy Auditors, we’re alarmed by how such tools expose your whereabouts without explicit consent.

Data It Collects

When a site or service queries ipwho.is with your IP, it captures:

• IP Address: Logs your unique identifier, connecting it to your general location.
• Geolocation: Determines your city, region, country, and sometimes approximate coordinates.
• ISP Information: Identifies your provider, such as ‘Comcast’ or ‘AT&T’.
• Connection Type: Detects if you’re using broadband, mobile data, or satellite.
• Timezone: Infers your local timezone, like ‘UTC-5’, from your location.
• Currency: Guesses your local currency (e.g., ‘USD’) based on region.
• Language: Assumes your primary language, such as ’en-US’, from IP data.

This information builds a snapshot of where you are and how you connect, making you a target for profiling.

Who Gets Your Data?

Data from ipwho.is is shared with:

• Website owner: Uses the API to analyze visitors and customize content based on location.
• Third-party service: Subscribes to ipwhois.io for bulk IP data and analytics.
• Data processor: Manages API requests and logs on ipwhois.io’s infrastructure.

How to Protect Yourself

At Privacy Auditors Institute, we’re focused on empowering you against trackers like ipwho.is. Here’s how to limit its access to your data:

• Use a VPN: Mask your IP address with a VPN like Mullvad, making your location appear elsewhere and disrupting geolocation tracking.
• Block API Calls: Employ Privacy Auditor’s paid service to block ipwho.is requests. Our free version helps you spot such trackers.
• Browse Privately: Use browsers like Tor or Firefox with enhanced tracking protection to minimize data exposure.
• Limit Site Permissions: Restrict location sharing in browser settings to prevent additional data leakage.

Layer these tactics for better protection. A VPN is essential to hide your IP, but combining it with tracker blockers offers a stronger shield with our Privacy Auditor tools.

Sources

This information is sourced from:

• ipwhois.io API Documentation: https://ipwhois.io/documentation
• ipwhois.io Privacy Policy: https://ipwhois.io/privacy-policy

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