• geekworking@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    When there’s a Captive Portal like the screenshot, many devices use a random but persistent mac for that network avoid reauthorization after any network drop. This will make your access to the specific network trackable.

    • Boring@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      But can’t you go manually forget the network in your device network options to circumvent this?

      • Molecular0079@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        This is actually just part of stock Android. My Pixel 5 has MAC randomization on by default for new Wi-Fi networks.

        • wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          It’s per-network, not per-connection. Though that option does exist but is hidden away under developer settings.

            • wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              It’s not at the packet level - by default on gOS (and a dev option on stock pixels), every time you connect to a network, even ones you have connected to prior, you get a new random MAC. The standard aosp/pixels do one random but persistent MAC randomization. This only helps marginally from a privacy standpoint. Per-connection makes this data point useless, thereby increasing privacy.

    • Dark Arc@social.packetloss.gg
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I’d assume after a certain amount of time or after moving far enough away from the network it “forgets” the last randomized MAC address?

      It doesn’t really make sense to store these things long term.