Abhishek at 07:04, 1 October 2023

2023-10-01T07:04:11Z

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{{Short description|Determining the physical location of an internet user}}
{{broader|Geolocation}}
In [[computing]], '''Internet geolocation''' is software capable of deducing the [[geographic position]] of a device connected to the [[Internet]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Muir|first1=James A.|last2=Oorschot|first2=Paul C. Van|date=2009-12-14|title=Internet geolocation: Evasion and counterevasion|url=https://doi.org/10.1145/1592451.1592455|journal=ACM Computing Surveys|volume=42|issue=1|pages=4:1–4:23|doi=10.1145/1592451.1592455|s2cid=16289271|issn=0360-0300}}</ref> For example, the device's [[IP address]] can be used to determine the country, city, or [[ZIP code]], determining its geographical location.<ref name=oreilly>{{cite book|title=HTML5 Geolocation |url=https://archive.org/details/htmlgeolocation00iiia_202 |url-access=limited|last=Holdener|first=Anthony T.|publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]]|year=2011|isbn=9781449304720|page=[https://archive.org/details/htmlgeolocation00iiia_202/page/n19 11]}}</ref> Other methods include examination of [[Wi-Fi positioning system|Wi-Fi hotspots]],<ref name="Lindner"/> {{citation needed span|a [[MAC address]], [[International Press Telecommunications Council|image metadata]], or [[credit card]] information.|date=March 2021}}

==Data sources==
An [[IP address]] is assigned to each device (e.g. computer, printer) participating in a [[computer network]] that uses the [[Internet Protocol]] for communication.<ref name=rfc760>{{IETF RFC|760}}, ''DOD Standard Internet Protocol'' (January 1980)</ref> The protocol specifies that each IP packet must have a [[Header (computing)|header]] which contains, among other things, the IP address of the sender.

There are a number of free and paid subscription geolocation [[database]]s, ranging from country level to state or city—including ZIP/[[post code]] level—each with varying claims of accuracy (generally higher at the country level). These databases typically contain IP address data which may be used in firewalls, ad servers, routing, mail systems, web sites, and other automated systems where a geolocation may be useful. An alternative to hosting and querying a database is to obtain the country code for a given IP address through a [[DNSBL]]-style lookup from a remote server.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netop.org/services/ip-geolocation|title=IP geolocation (The NetOp Organization)|access-date=2009-02-04|date=2009-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125023649/http://www.netop.org/services/ip-geolocation|archive-date=2009-01-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Some commercial databases have augmented geolocation software with demographic data to enable demographic-type targeting using IP address data.<ref name=oreilly/>

The primary source for IP address data is the [[regional Internet registry|regional Internet registries]] which allocate and distribute IP addresses amongst organizations located in their respective service regions:

* [[AfriNIC|African Network Information Centre]] (AfriNIC)
* [[American Registry for Internet Numbers]] (ARIN)
* [[Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre]] (APNIC)
* [[LACNIC|Latin American and Caribbean Internet Address Registry]] (LACNIC)
* [[RIPE NCC|RIPE Network Coordination Centre]] (RIPE NCC)

The registries allow assignees to specify country and geographical coordinates of each assigned block.<ref>{{cite web |title=Geolocation |url=https://help.apnic.net/s/article/Geolocation |publisher=[[APNIC]] |access-date=5 September 2022}}</ref> Starting from 2021 [[Request for Comments|RFC]] 9092 allows assignees to specify location of any IP [[subnetwork]] they own.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finding and Using Geofeed Data |url=https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc9092/ |publisher=[[IETF]] |access-date=4 September 2022 |date=27 July 2021}}</ref>

Secondary sources include:

* [[Data mining]] or user-submitted geographic location data:
** Website-submitted, e.g. a weather website asking visitors for a city name to find their local forecast or pairing a user's IP address with the address information in their account profile.
** [[Wi-Fi positioning system]]<ref name="Lindner">{{Cite journal|last1=Lindner|first1=Thomas|last2=Fritsch|first2=Lothar|last3=Plank|first3=Kilian|last4=Rannenberg|first4=Kai|date=2004|editor-last=Lamersdorf|editor-first=Winfried|editor2-last=Tschammer|editor2-first=Volker|editor3-last=Amarger|editor3-first=Stéphane|title=Exploitation of Public and Private WiFi Coverage for New Business Models|journal=Building the E-Service Society|series=IFIP International Federation for Information Processing|volume=146|language=en|publisher=Springer US|pages=131–148|doi=10.1007/1-4020-8155-3_8|isbn=978-1-4020-8155-2|doi-access=free}}</ref> through the examination of neighborhood Wi-Fi [[BSSID]]. E.g. [[Mozilla Location Service]].
** Examination of neighborhood [[Bluetooth]] devices.
** Pairing a user's IP address with the [[Satellite navigation device|GPS location]] of a device that's using such an IP address.
* Data contributed by [[Internet service provider]]s.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* [[Guesstimate]]s from adjacent [[Classful network|Class C range]]<ref>An example is the guessed city provided by hostip.info.</ref>{{Failed verification|date=March 2021}} and/or gleaned from network [[hop (telecommunications)|hops]].{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* Network routing information collected to the end point of the IP address.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* Analysis of linguistic data from the device, using pretrained models that show that some term is frequently mentioned in a certain location (e.g. "the T" vs "the El" vs. "the subway").<ref>{{cite arXiv|title=Inferring the location of authors from words in their texts|date=2015|last1=Berggren|
first1=Max|last2=Karlgren|first2=Jussi|last3=Östling|first3=Robert|last4=Parkvall|first4=Mikael|class=cs.CL|language=en|eprint=1612.06671}}</ref>

Accuracy is improved by:
* [[Data scrubbing]] to filter out or identify [[software anomaly|anomalies]].
* [[Statistics|Statistical analysis]] of user submitted data.
* Utilizing third-party tests conducted by reputable organizations.

===Errors===
If geolocation software maps IP addresses associated with an entire county or territory to a particular location, such as the geographic center of the territory, this can cause considerable problems for the people who happen to live there, as law enforcement authorities and others may mistakenly assume any crimes or other misconduct associated with the IP address to originate from that particular location.

For example, a farmstead northeast of [[Potwin, Kansas]] became the default site of 600 million [[IP address]]es when the Massachusetts-based digital mapping company [[MaxMind]] changed the putative [[geographic center of the contiguous United States]] from 39.8333333,-98.585522 to 38.0000,-97.0000.<ref name="Potwin, Kansas">{{cite web | url=https://theweek.com/articles/624040/how-internet-mapping-glitch-turned-kansas-farm-into-digital-hell | title=How an internet mapping glitch turned a random Kansas farm into a digital hell | publisher=Fusion | date=2016-04-10 | access-date=2016-04-10 | author=Hill, Kashmir}}</ref> Since 2012, a family in [[Pretoria]], South Africa, has been regularly visited by police or angry private citizens who believed their stolen phones were to be found in the family's backyard. This was also the result of geolocation by MaxMind. The company used the [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]]'s coordinates for Pretoria, which pointed to the family's house, to represent IP addresses associated with Pretoria.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Kashmir |title=How Cartographers for the U.S. Military Inadvertently Created a House of Horrors in South Africa |url=https://gizmodo.com/how-cartographers-for-the-u-s-military-inadvertently-c-1830758394 |access-date=10 January 2019 |work=Gizmodo |date=10 January 2019}}</ref>

==Privacy==
A distinction can be made between ''co-operative'' and ''oppositional'' geolocation. In some cases, it is in the interest of users to be accurately located, for example, so that they can be offered information relevant to their location. In other cases, users prefer not to disclose their location for privacy or other reasons.<ref>{{cite web|last=Plaintiff: Coalition for Sexual Freedom and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom Foundation|first=Defendant: US Attorney General [[John Ashcroft]] and the United States of America|date=2003-11-10|title=''Nitke vs. Ashcroft'' - Expert report of Seth Finkelstein|url=http://www.sethf.com/nitke/ashcroft.php|access-date=2004-11-15}}</ref>

Technical measures for ensuring [[anonymity]], such as [[proxy server]]s, can be used to circumvent restrictions imposed by geolocation software. Some sites detect the use of proxies and anonymizers, and may either block service or provide non-localized content in response.<ref>RealNetworks detects proxies and anonymizers; Google serves non-localized content if location is in doubt. {{cite web |url=http://wired-vig.wired.com/news_drop/news_lycatalog/story/0,2149,64178,00.html |title=Geolocation: Don't Fence Web In |date=2004-07-12 |publisher=Wired |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514234503/http://wired-vig.wired.com/news_drop/news_lycatalog/story/0,2149,64178,00.html |archive-date=2006-05-14 }}</ref>

==Applications==
Geolocation technology has been under development only since 1999, and the first patents were granted in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/Digital-Envoy-wins-geotargeting-patent/2110-1032_3-5251844.html |title=Digital Envoy wins Geotargeting Patent |access-date=2010-04-19 |date=2004-06-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617060350/http://news.cnet.com/Digital-Envoy-wins-geotargeting-patent/2110-1032_3-5251844.html |archive-date=June 17, 2011 }}</ref> The technology is already widely used in multiple industries,<ref name=industries>[http://clientsidenews.com/downloads/CSNV10I6.pdf ClientSideNews, Nov/Dec 2010 issue, Page 6 “You Can Really Do That? – The Power of Geolocation Technology” ]</ref> including e-retail, banking, media, telecommunications, education, travel,<ref name=travel>[http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/1054072/Thetrainline-brings-Digital-Element-board-localised-ad-task/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH Marketing Magazine, February 10, 2011 “Thetrainline brings Digital Element on board for localised ad task”]</ref> hospitality, entertainment, health care, online gaming and law enforcement, for preventing [[online fraud]], complying with regulations, managing digital rights<ref name=rights>[http://www.digitalelement.com/success_stories/we7.html Music Streaming site we7 Cranks up the Volume for Digital Rights Management and Ad Targeting] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206040230/http://www.digitalelement.com/success_stories/we7.html |date=2010-12-06 }}</ref> and serving targeted [[marketing]] content and [[pricing]].<ref>{{cite web|ssrn=1433634|title=Geolocation and Federalism on the Internet: Cutting Internet Gambling's Gordian Knot|date=2009-10-04|last1=King|first1=Kevin F.}}</ref> Additionally, the U.S. [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) has proposed that geolocation software might be leveraged to support [[9-1-1]] location determination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0712/DOC-308377A1.pdf| title= FCC Strengthens Enhanced 911 Location Accuracy Requirements for Wireless Services |access-date= April 27, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811023438/http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0712/DOC-308377A1.pdf |archive-date=August 11, 2011 }}</ref>

An IP address or the [[one-to-one correspondence|related unique]] [[URL]] may also be investigated with basic functions, typing from the [[computer keyboard|keyboard]] two instructions: [[ping (networking utility)|ping]] and [[traceroute]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://nmap.org/nsedoc/scripts/traceroute-geolocation.html|title= File traceroute-geolocation|language= en|access-date= March 24, 2017}}</ref> In [[Unix-like]] systems, they are available as a command line tool. In the same way, [[Microsoft Windows]] has the prompt of [[DOS]] working with those instructions.

===Criminal investigations===

Banks, software vendors and other online enterprises in the US and elsewhere became subject to strict "[[know your customer]]" laws imposed by the [[USA PATRIOT Act]], the [[Bank Secrecy Act]], the [[United States Department of the Treasury|US Treasury Department]]'s [[Office of Foreign Assets Control]] and other regulatory entities in the US and Europe from the early twenty-first century. These laws are intended to prevent money laundering, trafficking with terrorist organizations, and trading with banned nations. When it is possible to identify the true location of online visitors, geolocation can protect banks from participating in the transfer of funds for illicit purposes. More and more prosecuting bodies are bringing cases involving cyber-crimes such as cyber-stalking and identity theft. Prosecutors often have the capability of determining the [[IP address]] data necessary to link a computer to a crime.<ref>[http://superiorcourtblog.com/sean-erenstoft-lectures-on-authenticating-web-evidence/ Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney, Wendy Segall Hides Evidence.]</ref>

===Fraud detection===
Online retailers and payment processors use geolocation to detect possible [[credit card fraud]] by comparing the user's location to the billing address on the account or the shipping address provided. A mismatch – an order placed from the US on an account number from Tokyo, for example – is a strong indicator of potential fraud. IP address geolocation can be also used in [[fraud detection]] to match billing address postal code or area code.<ref>{{cite book|title=Identity Theft|last=Vacca|first=John R.|publisher=[[Prentice Hall Professional]]|year=2003|isbn=9780130082756|page=400}}</ref> Banks can prevent "[[phishing]]" attacks, [[money laundering]] and other security breaches by determining the user's location as part of the authentication process. [[Whois]] databases can also help verify [[IP address]]es and registrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcall.com/business/finance/mc-biz-bank-share-location-20171127-story.html|title=Sharing your location with your bank seems creepy, but it's useful|last=Barba|first=Robert|work=[[The Morning Call]]|date=2017-11-18|access-date=2018-01-10}}</ref>

Government, law enforcement and corporate security teams use geolocation as an investigatory tool, tracking the Internet routes of online attackers to find the perpetrators and prevent future attacks from the same location.

===Geomarketing===
{{further|Geomarketing}}
Since geolocation software can get the information of user location, companies using geomarketing may provide [[web content]] or products that are famous or useful in that specific location. Advertisements and content on a website that uses geolocation software in the form of an [[API]] (also referred to as "IP API" or "IP address geolocation API") may be tailored to provide the information that a certain user wants.<ref name=wants>[http://www.internetretailer.com/2010/06/25/personalized-web-site-content-gives-retailers-edge Internet Retailer “Personalized web site content gives retailers an edge’, June 25, 2010]</ref>

===Regional licensing===
[[Internet]] movie vendors, online broadcasters who serve live streaming video of sporting events, or certain TV and music video sites that are licensed to broadcast their videos of episodes/music videos are permitted to serve viewers only in their licensed territories. By geolocating viewers, they can be certain of obeying licensing regulations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/CinemaNow-appeases-studios-by-locating-Web-surfers/2100-1023_3-253169.html|publisher=CNet|title=CinemaNow appeases studios by locating Web surfers|date=2001-02-26|access-date=2010-04-22}}</ref> Online gambling websites must also know where their customers violate gambling laws, or risk doing so.

Jim Ramo, chief executive of movie distributor Movielink, said studios were aware of the shortcomings going in and have grown more confident now that the system has been shown to work.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,64178,00.html |publisher=Wired News |agency=Associated Press |title=Geolocation: Don't Fence Web In |date=2004-07-12 |access-date=2006-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909221543/http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,64178,00.html |archive-date=2006-09-09 }}</ref>

===Gaming===
A [[location-based game]] is a type of [[pervasive game]] for [[smartphone]]s or other [[mobile device]]s in which the [[gameplay]] evolves and progresses via a player's real-world location which is typically obtained by [[GPS]] functionality from the device.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Trimble |first=Marketa |title=The future of cybertravel: legal implications of the evasion of geolocation |journal=Fordham Intell}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Geo-blocking]]
* [[Geotargeting]]
* [[Satellite navigation software]]
* [[Location-based service]]
* [[MAC address anonymization]]
* [[Online locator service|Locator software]]
* [[Personalization]]
* [[W3C Geolocation API]]
* [[Kinomap]] (geolocation video software)
* [[Mobile phone tracking]]
* [[TV White Space Database]] (geolocation database)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{curlie|Computers/Software/Internet/Servers/Personalization|Computers : Software : Internet : Servers : Personalization}}
*[http://www.usenix.org/events/nsdi11/tech/full_papers/Wang_Yong.pdf Towards Street-Level Client-Independent IP Geolocation]: Recent research paper explaining how to find a location from an IP address within 1 km
*[https://www.bigdatacloud.com/blog/how-accurate-can-ip-geolocation-get How accurate can IP Geolocation get?]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geolocation Software}}
[[Category:Internet privacy software]]
[[Category:Business software]]
[[Category:Internet geolocation|*]]

Internet geolocation - Revision history

Abhishek at 07:04, 1 October 2023